When Stealing from the Wrong Target
by Mystical Ninja Unicorns
Summary: Rith, a famous thief decides to pickpocket one unlucky ranger, only to find out that this ranger is Bishop and he doesn't take things like that to kindly. One unlucky night then sets in motion a bunch of events that change their lives with gold, friendship, love, and betrayal.
1. When Stealing from the Wrong Target

**When Stealing from the Wrong Target…**

In the slums of West Gate, was a silver haired, grey skinned Drow. She was huddling under a crappy excuse of a shelter and cursed every second. The silver rings in her ears reflected the moon light and flawless face looked angelic in the silver light. The blue-grey eyes searched the whole alley in front of her for movement before shivering again. Her breeches and tight green shirt stained in mud and filth.

Rith shivered as a gust of cold air hit her body. She pulled the tattered wool blanket up higher and shivered again. As if it would help! Her once-white-but-now-a-dirty-brown wool blanket had several holes in it that let the cold air just blow right through. She cursed under her breath. She needed gold and fast. Rith stood up and decided that she would be better to spend the night at Randy's… even if Randy himself was a pervert.

Randy's was a tavern just down the alley. It was always full but no one who was a woman and enjoyed her privacy ever stayed there for a night, he had the habit to peek through holes in the walls and watch them bathe, not counting the part where he would try to touch you in your sleep. Rith almost killed that man.

She remembered when her parents left her, at age 13 on the streets. Claimed they couldn't support her. _My ass…_ Rith thought, _they were rich, and the head of the city!_ When they said we can't support you any more, they meant that they hated her for being born and never wanted to see her face again. At first Rith wasn't trusted and starved for days on end. They didn't trust her because she was a drow, both parents half-drow. Rith was 'lucky', she got both drow parts of her parent while her bloody sister, Silvia, got the human parts! But after a while of running a now infamous street gang, they respected her. But she left the street gang leader life, she worked alone and her parents attempted to slaughter her gang just because Rith was the head and threatened their power over politics, just another way of saying 'I love you, Rith'!

She shoveled miserably into the tavern, her silver hair dangling over her face by the cold wind blowing it all around. She walked in, shouts of greeting from all the thieves she knew.

Rith herself was a rogue, with a petty level of magic from her elven heritage, and an arcane archer. She learned how to street fight, without, or with knives or her expansive silver bow and arrows. Rith smiled at all those who would part her in the back or nod at her. She shuffled and looked back at her boot prints upon the dusty floor.

"What can I get you, Silver Bow?" The rat face Randy asked.

Silver Bow. She hadn't heard that name since she left. It was her trade mark and name when she was with her gang, the Night Masks. Had she not been here for that long?

"It's just Rith now, Randy." She said coolly, flicking her bangs to the side. "One tankered of ale, please."

Randy nodded. "The first one's on me." Randy winked.

Rith smiled, he always did that to get women. Then she frowned realizing he was trying to get her.

Rith looked around at the merry customers, noticing them all… except one. A man was sitting down the bar from her. He must be new… Rith thought. He was a ranger, no doubt about that. He had brown, ruffled hair, and a poorly shaved beard. He looked in his late twenties and Rith spotted a faint tattoo of some sort on his neck. Right now, there was Betty the Wench on him; Betty was some blonde that was a little on the chubby side. She was an idiot and had been a whore since she was 14. Rith couldn't catch his face cause it was buried in Betty's huge breast and kissing her. Betty giggled and wiggled in his arms.

Rith then spotted it. It was a red, wore leather pouch and it looked to be full of gold, hanging out of the man's pocket. Just what she needed, an easy target. Rith felt the cold tankered of ale being shoved in her hand and Randy giving her his best, 'you know you want me' wink. Rith gave him a threating look, making him look like he was about to melt, remembering her rep'. Rith then got up and walked over to a group of old friends, and walked by the ranger, quickly stealing the gold. She was a master at it and could tell that the ranger was too busy.

Rith quickly shoved it in her own pocket and sat with her old friends. They greeted her and she sat with them listening to their stories. Rith quickly poured the gold into her own pouch but left a little gold for Randy, knowing that he'll charge her for the soup she was just about to order.

When her friends left, and her tankered and bowl were empty, she got up, throwing the red pouch to Randy, since the ranger was now in his room that he must've rented, and left. Rith smiled, knowing that the ranger wouldn't be able to pay poor Betty and Randy would be the first to blame…

**XXX**

Bishop walked out with the taste of Betty's tongue still fresh in his mouth. He didn't care though because he lost his pouch. He was angry and had to find it quick before Betty did something stupid for not paying him. Bishop decided if he didn't find it, then he would just tell her he would be right back and leave. He smiled wickedly, she never asked for his name.

As Bishop walked by the rat faced tavern keeper he spotted his pouch and quickly grabbed Randy and pulled him close. Every one stopped and stared at him.

"Where did you get that?" He asked menacingly.

"W-what t-this?" Randy asked nervously, holding up the red pouch.

"Yes, my pouch, why do you have it?"

"I-I-I didn't steal it i-if that's what you're thinking." Randy answered nervously. He knew that he was in trouble. "Sil-Rith gave it to me, yes, Rith. She paid for her soup with this just now, and left."

"Rith?"

Randy nodded, practically shaking himself. "Yes, she's a thief, one of the best!" Bishop glared at him hard. "She has a hideout down the alley, can't miss her!"

Bishop released his grip, taking his pouch while Randy fell on his behind and walked out the door, grabbing his cloak, bag, and bow. Bishop spotted her tracks immediately and followed them…

**XXX**

Rith kept her head down and kept walking, her new gold in her hand so she wouldn't be stolen from. _Stupid ass ranger!_ Rith cheered in her mind. _You clearly should stay to the woods! _Rith smiled faintly to herself then realized. _Oh gods! He's a ranger!_ Rith panicked. _He could track me down in minutes! _Rith quickly went to the nearest building and climbed it like it was a tree. Rith had several different hideouts in the city and could easily become invisible. Rith went to the nearest hideout, which was right next to an old bridge and a river that everyone took a piss or dump in, well… except Rith. She smiled to herself; she would be fine here for a bit.

She walked into the shack. It was a little dusty but still good. Rith wondered why she hadn't come back sooner, there was an actual blanket in it, with no holes! She sighed at the sight of her old bedroll. Then she remembered why she never came back… This was where she lived when she was head of the Night Masks. She doubted that any one was still hunting her, her family had given up the hunt. Claimed they wanted her back, bah! They wanted her dead and good riddance to them!

Rith sat snugly on her bedroll, the only furniture there, be sides the chair, which looked like it was ready to collapse if a feather fell on it. Rith sat snuggly in her bedroll and fell asleep instantly.

**XXX**

Bishop cursed himself as he slipped and fell. He caught himself with his hand, but who knows who took a crap there or not. Bishop looked at his scraped palm and wiped it on his pants in disgust. He followed the footsteps and stopped when he almost hit his head against a building. He didn't get it, how could she just walk through a wall? He then realized she climbed it and looked up. Her boot prints were on the walls. Bishop followed her own moves to climb it and actually learned something new about trying to climb a building. He looked over the flat scene to spot a small shack, on a building across from the one he was standing on. He quickly jumped across and walked up to the shack. He thought for a moment, how would he do this… the nice way or bad way… The bitch stole his gold, bad way it was.

Bishop walked in and grabbed the cuff of Rith's shirt, close to the breast. He dragged the fighting figure out in the cold moonlight and held her up to the light, danging her over the egde. She looked down at him, an evil glare out from her grey eyes.

"Let me go, I did nothing to you!" She struggled.

Bishop pulled her closer, their faces inches apart. "You stole my gold." Bishop said mincingly. "You did the worst thing you could possibly do."

He saw a gleam of recognition in her eyes that was quickly covered by calmness. He felt her reach into her pocket and pull out a black pouch of gold. As he went to reach for it with his free hand, she quickly jerked it away.

"You want it." Rith held it up. "Go get it." She chucked it into the streets and he watched in anger as it exploded gold and the crowd below tackled each other to pick it up for themselves.


	2. Settling a Debt

**Settling a Debt**

Rith looked down at Bishop with a wicked smirk. "Whoops." She said, innocently. "My bad."

The man looked furious. "You made the biggest mistake of your life, wench."

Rith looked down at the drop. She could make it if he dropped her… maybe. Rith then acted with lightning fast speed. She punched the man in the face and as he dropped her, she caught the edge of the building the flung herself up and pushed off the side of the building. Rith flipped backwards and pulled out a small hook. She then latched the hook to a clothes line and rode it down.

Bishop cursed aloud and pulled out his bow. He aimed for her arm and shot. It cut her arm but didn't hit. He heard Rith curse and watched her fall over. Bishop then jumped on the line and slid down it, trying hard not to fall off. He jumped off and grabbed the girl by the cuff of the shirt again and held her up.

"You shot me!" she cursed him. "You fucking shot me!"

"Well, girl, you're lucky I missed." Bishop said. "You owe me."

"You're in West Gate, ranger boy." Rith said coolly. "You guard your purse like it's your own life."

"Well this ranger boy just caught a thief, and she better give me back my money."

"I'm broker than some hobo now!" Rith said, she struggled some more before Bishop finally jerked her back quickly then brought her closer.

"Well, you better pay me another way." An evil gleam in his eye and how he stroke her cheek lightly before running his hand down to her collar bone, told Rith what he meant.

"Sorry, but this rose has thorns. You might get cut." Rith looked down at him with a playful smile.

"I think I'll take the chance."

"No you won't!" Rith struggled harder to no avail.

"You stole my gold…"

"Congratulations, you won a damn medal" Rith said, sarcastically.

Bishop dropped the drow and she landed on her toes.

"We'll sort this out somewhere else." Bishop said, looking around him.

"I ain't going no where, ranger boy."

Bishop moved closer, looking her in the eye. "Think again."

With lightning speed he pulled out a spare belt and flipped her around. She tried to fight but the ranger was faster than her. He wrapped the belt around her arms. She gave an _oof_ as she fell on her chest. He then picked her up and put a spare cloth in her mouth, heading for Randy's.

**XXX**

As Bishop walked into Randy's everything went quiet. Everyone just stared at the man who carried the infamous drow. She looked up at Randy who gave her a wicked look for trying to pin the theft on him. She glared at him and made of note of killing him slowly for turning on her. Bishop closed the door to his room and threw Rith down on the ground. He grabbed the cloth out of her mouth and stood there, with his arms crossed, looking down at her.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"How 'bout having a heart and letting a starved thief go?" Rith batted her eyelashes and smiled at him nicely.

Bishop grinned. "Right, like that will happen."

"Ok how bout I work for you?" Rith looked up at him. "I could make you a fortune."

Bishop thought for a moment, money was nice, especially if he had someone working for him.

There was a knock on the door. Reminding him why he had come here.

"Stay here."

He opened the door and closed it behind him.

There stood a man in his thirties. He was skinny and muscular, his armor shined off the candle light. The man had blonde hair and grey eyes, with two bread braids that he wrapped around his finger. He had a long sword at his belt and a shield on his back, indicating he was a skilled fighter.

"You got my message then?"

"Yah, what were you talking about, greatest treasure in the realms, blah blah blah."

"Yes, well may I come in?"

Bishop shook his head, "Someone is in there." Bishop watched his smile grow, "No it's not a whore." Bishop sighed.

"Very well, we'll talk at my table."

He sat down at a table that was covered in shadow and very quiet. He looked around to see if anyone was listening. "Right, so I came across this chunk of wood," He pulled it out of his bag and slid it across the table. It had symbols and pictures on it that Bishop couldn't really tell what they meant. "I took it to a mage who claimed it was a map to some forgotten temple of the sun elves, you know them right?"

Bishop nodded. "They live in Evermeet, correct?"

The man nodded. "Well, there was a group who once felt that a certain paladin sun elf was a god just because he stopped a revolt from spreading and saved Evermeet, but he soon died of poisoning. Of corse, that's impossible, no one can just become a god but they felt it, so they left Evermeet and set up a temple in this sun elf's honor.

"Well, the other elves felt that it was ridiculous, and demanded that they destroyed and, or, abandoned that temple and come back. But they didn't. So when they got there, they saw piles of gold, more than any oldest dragon's hoard, but when they went to attack the temple and all of its followers vanished into thin air. Now I need you to help me track it down."

Bishop shook his head. "I don't see how I could help at all, it's not like I'm tracking down someone to kill, and the tracks are gone by now. And besides, it's most likely myth."

The warrior shook his head. "It's not, I found an ancient tome from that age, from one the followers, who claims how to make the temple appear."

"How?" Bishop leaned it, this was getting somewhat juicy.

"Elvan blood."

Bishop leaned back. "What?"

"Any elf will do, we just need the blood of an elf, any elf in fact, and there is only one problem."

"What?"

"The whole place is covered in traps and nasty things to get in our way so we just need to find an elf and an experience thief and we're good."

"But wouldn't we have to split the gold?"

The warrior nodded. "Yes, but-"

"I think I got a thief we could use, and an elven one at that."

The warrior nodded. "Go get her."

"No, you follow me." Bishop got up and the warrior followed. Bishop opened his door to his room to see Rith still there, but her hands were undone, and she was about to jump out a window.

"Uhh… This isn't what it looks…" She said plainly.

Bishop grabbed her by the shoulders and put her right in front of the warrior.

"Who's he?" she asked.

"His name is Crist, and he and I got a job for you."

Rith looked up. "Is there gold involved?"

"More than you can carry." Crist smiled at Rith as he expanded his arms out. "But we need a thief."

"Well, if it will set me up for life, I'm in."

The man nodded. "Great, just pack your bags and meet me at the gates..."


	3. On the Road

**On The Road**

Rith looked curiously at the bay horse. Bishop raised an eyebrow as she examined it closely with a curious spark in her eye. She slowly put a hand out as she went to touch the horse's nose, only to flinch away as it sniffed at her. She gave a squeak and hid behind a pole nearby.

"What… are you doing?" Bishop asked, making Rith jump.

"I've never seen a horse before, let alone rid it." She looked at intently.

Chris came out of the stable master's house with a slight frown. "The guy with only sell one horse."

"I could steal one." Rith said plainly.

Chris shook his head. "Nah, one should be enough. You'll just have to ride it and it will carry our gear."

Rith looked at the horse. "I _have_ to ride it?"

"What's wrong, you afraid it will bite?" Bishop asked with a smile.

"Yes and I could walk."

"Fine…" Chris looked up I defeat. "It's just your smaller than us, and I'm afraid you might over work yourself just trying to keep up with us. So I figured you wouldn't faint if some bandits try to kill us, and you've been running for about a mile."

Rith rolled her eyes. "I get your hint." Rith grabs the saddle and tries to get up, only to end up falling on her backside. She got up and whipped the dust off furiously.

"Here…" Bishop suddenly grabs Rith by her slender hips and lifts her up.

"Thank you." She says over her shoulder as she tries to mount again.

For a couple of minutes she struggles to get on. "Would you hurry up?" Bishop asked through his teeth.

"Oh, bite me."

"I wouldn't say that when I got a view of something I would like biting." He said giving her behind a approving look.

Rith finally gets on. "There you go, ranger boy."

"Quit calling me that." He sneered.

Rith rolls her eyes and looks down at the horse. "Why don't we stop calling the horse it and give it a name?"

"Name away!" Chris simply said, getting the last of his gear ready.

"Do I look like someone with a bunch of names on my mind?" Rith asks as she clings to the horse as it shakes her mane.

Bishop ignores the conversation and whistles, causing them to stop and watch him. He waits several minutes with no sign of his wolf.

"Here…" Rith puts two fingers in her mouth and whistles like a street boy, louder than Bishop but in the same way.

They waited 15 minutes before they watched a wolf jump out of the bushes and run towards Bishop.

"Right so we're ready?" They nod in his direction. "Good."

Bishop grabs the reins to the horse. "What are you doing?" Rith asks.

"Leading the horse, you just got to sit and look pretty."

She holds the mane of the horse and leans on the neck, her mouth close to his ear. She whispers. "I can more than pretty any day, ranger boy…."

**XXX**

"I'm telling you that the seer can help us." Chris says over his shoulder to Bishop. "We just need to get to him."

Bishop listened to the silence and Rith's deep breathing and light snoring. She had fallen asleep on the neck of the horse as quickly as they left. Her silver hair covered her eyes, her mouth slightly open. He watched as she leaned to the left a little too much and fell off the horse. They stopped and turned around to look at Rith who was on her back with her eyes wide open. Her hair was spread around her head, like a firework that had been paused.

"Oww..." She simply said, sitting up and stretching.

"Time to wake up sleeping beauty..." Bishop smiles at her.

"Shut up." She said over her shoulder, getting up.

Rith walks next to Bishop, yawning every once and a while.

"So how did 'ranger boy' catch Rith the 'most skilled thief of West gate'?" Chris asks.

"I didn't think that anyone would track down a thief if their money purse was gone, not like any one from West Gate, usually they get more money or die of starvation."

"But I'm not from West Gate." Bishop simply says.

"Yah, well the way you were making love to Betty, in public, you seemed to be." Rith says with a wicked smile.

"Betty?"

"Whore…" Rith answers.

Chris looks at Bishop. "You told me you were done with that!"

Bishop shrugs. "I lied."

Rith laughs slightly.

"What's your story?" Chris asks.

"Me?" Rith asks, Chris nods. "I'm just a thief, been on the streets since I was little."

"Why? Don't you have family?"

"Yah, but they left me for the streets." Pain, anger, and sadness were deep in her eyes and her face. "Claimed they couldn't take care of me, but yet their somehow the riches family in West gate."

"They abandoned you?"

Rith looked over and nodded. "Yup, they boot my ass out the door with only three days' worth of food and a wool blanket. So I wandered the streets until I was hungry. Finally I stole some one's purse and liked it, so I stole again, and again. Until I got a name for myself, then I decided to do more than just pickpocket, I picked locks and broke into people's houses, stealing their valuables and sold it on the street. Eventually, I got my respect and rep up enough to start a street gang."

"What happened to your gang?" Chris pried.

"Ah, my family intervened, they slaughter half of them mercilessly and tutored most of them, trying to get to me, so I left them, and been living off the streets ever since, that was… a year ago."

"Why did they do that?" Bishop shook his head in confusion. "If they wanted you gone, why bother slaughtering the one thing you have to live off of?"

"'Cause they want me dead, and they claimed they wanted me back, and were saving me from getting killed. Street lords don't live long."

"Why didn't you go back?" Chris asked.

Rith looked down at her feet. "Because I wasn't going to go back and be worthless again. Because I hate the life of a noble, and I hate my parents and sister for trying to make West Gate perfect. Because I have the right not to go back, and I'll be damned if any one tries to question my choices or not!" Rith walked with longer strides and moved fasters until she was a good couple of feet ahead of them, and then slowed down a bit so she was in stride ahead of them.

Chris looks over at Bishop and shrugs.


	4. Bandit Bandanas

**Bandit Bandanas**

"I'm sorry alright!" shouted at Chris as he pushed even further.

"You don't sound sorry." He said with a smile.

"Leave the drow alone." Bishop said over her shoulder. "She obliviously has woman hormonal issues and stuff like that."

"Excuse me?" Rith raises one dangerous thin eyebrow.

"Yah, you heard me, you're like every other woman of the whole world, nagging and hormonal."

"Says the man who gets all serious ranger when he loses a bit of gold."

"I like my gold." Bishop says over his shoulder.

"Yah, well I _love_ gold." Rith sneers. "And you only need gold for whores, since obliviously you can't get any other women."

Chris rolled his eyes. "I can already see you two fighting over the gold when we get there."

Bishop ignores Chris's statement and glares at Rith. "I like whores for my own reasons."

Rith raises her eyebrow higher. "Right and I only steal because it makes me feel good inside."

"I don't care about your feelings."

"Ha! If I didn't steal your gold you'd still be looking for a thief who would come with you for a suicide mission."

"Then why did you come?"

"Because I owed you a debt and I respect someone who can track down a thief and confront them." Rith bared her white teeth at him. "Now I suggest you shut your mouth before I jump off this horse and bite you."

They all stopped as they soon realized they had come upon a large bandit's 'toll' booth.

They watched as a group of bandits marched on the bridge above them and pointed their weapons down at them. They all had colorful bandanas wrapped around their heads.

"Halt!" Said the leader, his armor shining in the sun. "You approach the Bandana Bandits of the North! Pay our toll for the pleasure to pass our sacred road!"

"Let me handle them." Rith whispered to the two, then leaned back and answered back in a louder voice. "Sacred road? Pleasure? What, was this thing was paved by a god?"

The bandit leader smiles. "Exactly."

"Right, which god would that be? The dead cow you call a leader?" She gestured towards the leader.

"Listen here, elf-"

"Oh, I am begging for you to say more, please go on…" Rith rolled her eyes.

The leader stared at her for the longest time. "What, you letting a snake tongued drow do the talking for you?" The leader looked down at Bishop and Chris. As Bishop went to open his mouth, Rith kicked his back, causing him to shut it again.

"These are my servants, not worthy of talking to you, even if they are worth more than you, some scum West Gate threw out because you didn't belong with the rest of the more valuable dirt living there."

"We are the Bandana B-"

"What, you advertise female hair products? Very intimidating indeed."

The leader's face turned red. "We-"

"Who even bothered to think that you could wear bandanas in the first place?"

The leader spoke up. "M-"

"You're an idiot then."

There was an awkward silence as the leader, red faced, glared at the cool looking drow, leaning back on the bay horse with her arms crossed.

"Who do you think you are? We have you out numbered!"

"I'm Silver Bow, and unless you let me pass, I'll have to turn around and let my gang know you've been giving me trouble and I'll bring them back to do all sorts of things to you and your followers before you die, now move it before I plant an arrow through your skull."

The leader looked scared. "S-s-sliver Bow? But that legend is dead!"

"Nah, that was false information spread around to get the-"

"Uh, I thought Silver Bow was a Te'feyn! You know boss, that royal family that rules West Gate!" One bandit spoke up.

"Aye, and I heard that Silver Bow left the Night Masks because they were almost slaughtered by the Te'feyns, her own family, and she was a coward, too scared to face death!"

"Listen, I never left because I was a coward, I-"

"Silver Bow is a coward!" Another Bandit shouted.

Rith opened her mouth to speak again but an arrow planted itself in the leader's head.

"Your leader is dead, anyone who wants to join him, please speak up." Bishop boomed.

They all ran away with their tail between their legs. Bishop looked over at Rith who looked angry. "And that is how you deal with bandits." Bishop simply said and started walking.

Chris smiled up at Rith. "So Rith Te'feyn, care to explain the family issues?"

Rith scowled at him. "Shut your mouth or I'll cut your tongue out!" She got off the horse and grabbed the reins, walking a little faster and catching up to Bishop, leaving Chris in the dust.


	5. More to Journey With!

**More to Journey With**

Rith crossed her arms as they sat at the table, her hood making her face look darker. She was tired of Chris trying to decode the chunk of wood and wouldn't just get moving.

"What did the seer say?" Bishop asked, bringing their drinks over.

"She said pretty much all the stuff I knew, except…"

"Except?" Rith asked quickly.

Chris lightly scowled at her. "… Except, she did mention something about East of a Tree that Thunders, South of a Twilight Tower and North West of a Well of Old and Owls… I have no clue what she means."

Bishop seemed to glow in his own way. "I know what she means. You see east of Neverwinter there is Thundertree…" Bishop explained as he pulled out a map. He pointed to a mark on his map. He grabbed a piece of charcoal and drew a straight line east. "And more east of that, in the mountains, there is the Old Owl Well." He pointed to another mark then drew a line north west. "… Lastly in the north there are the ruins, Tower of Twilight." He pointed the last mark and drew a straight line south. When you looked at it you got a small triangle on the southern tip of Edals Creek. "So it must be in the area of that little triangle."

"Well done, Bishop!" Chris patted Bishop roughly on the back.

"My, my, I guess you do have a use after all..." Rith wickedly smiled at him. "And I was starting to think that only your wide shoulders could be used as a seat."

Bishop doesn't respond, just lightly flexes his muscles on his back, pleased with both compliments.

Chris looked at Bishop's map. "We're in Leilon now, so a little walk north and we can head up to Neverwinter first, get supplies, and head towards our destination."

"Good." Rith said, finishing her drink in minutes. "The sooner I get my gold, the sooner I can get drunk."

They sit there in silence…

Three buff men entered the tavern. They looked like trouble. As Rith got up and excused herself, one of the men grabbed her arm and pulled her closer.

"Well, well, boss, look at this beauty." His breath smelt like rotting flesh.

"Yah, I like the curves on this one." He runned his hand down her chest. Rith punched him hard in the face.

"Don't touch me, filth." She sneered.

He licked the blood off his lip and rudely pulled her closer. She struggled with him. "I'm going to like this." He laughed wickedly.

"Why don't you put the nice lass down nicely now." A masculine voice deep with accent asked. They turned to look down at a Halfling. He had short, and a little shaggy brown hair and two beard braids. His eyes were darker than obsidian. Somehow they seemed to sparkle with personality yet very dark and deep like a dark pond, with no visible bottom. He wore little armor, a rapier at his belt. He seemed bright and obliviously was a duelist.

They laughed. "And what is a little, alone man like you going to do about it? Make us laugh as we make your corpse dance like a little doll?"

"What makes you think he's alone?" A female voice asked. They looked around, except for Rith and Bishop who spotted the shadow in the corner. A half elf woman stepped out for the shadows. She had copper hair and teal eyes with specks of gold in them. Sun elf heritage were evident in her features. Her skin was a pale golden look. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a green band around it. She wore a dark green shirt and dark brown trousers with black boots. She held two shiny and sharp looking daggers. Bishop recognized her as an Invisible Blade but knew little of their methods.

"What, am I expose to be scared of one half man and one slip of an elf?"

Bishop stood. "Nah, just my arrow in your face." He had his bow draw and was aiming at the man holding Rith. "Now let her go and I might kill you quickly."

"What are you, her boyfriend?"

Rith quickly stabbed the man in the leg with a silver blade then pulled out two more and stabbed both men beside his in the chest. They all crumpled to the ground. As Rith went to walk away the middle man grabbed her foot, causing her to hit her head on the ground. She saw stars as she tried to kick the face of the man and hit something soft, hoping to Lolth it was his face. She quickly got up to see an arrow in his face, he groaned in pain as he slowly died.

She got up and quickly dusted herself off, grumbling about how pig headed humans were. The Halfling walked up to her and shook her hand unexpectedly. "Merin Nickney, at your service young lass!" Rith looked down at him.

"Uhh… nice to meet you too." She shook back, her strong arm slightly shaking the small man.

"And this is Lomilia," He leaned in to whisper. "She doesn't have a last name apparently."

"Shut up, Merin." She said across the room. "I can here you whisper."

He smiled brightly at Rith. "And your name would be?"

"Rith." She said simply.

"Rith?"

Her hesitation was visible. "Te'feyn."

"Te'feyn?" The half elf asked. "Isn't that the rich family in West Gate?"

"Indeed," Merin looked at Rith through slit eyes. "You must be rich."

Rith shook her head. "I'm brook; I had them buy my drinks."

"And she's nearly drank my purse dry!" Chris laughed.

"And with the company I'm keeping its wonder that I don't drink continually." Rith grumpled, crossing her arms.

Chris got up and shook Merin's hand. "I'm Chris and the grump with the bow in the corner is Bishop."

Bishop crossed his arms in the same manner as Rith. "I'm not a grump." Merin looked at the arms crossing Rith and arms crossing Bishop and smiled brightly.

Merin shook Bishop's hand and smiled at him. "What an odd group, two humans and a drow."

Rith looked around her. "Thanks for telling everyone."

Lomilia then spoke, reminding everyone she was there. "Don't mind him; his mouth has gotten us in trouble more than once."

"Indeed, it is always more welcoming for new company, compared to the quiet elf-"

"Half-elf." Lomilia corrected. "And I'm quiet for my own good, it looked like… Rith had it under control."

Merin clicked his tongue. "Now, now, I'm always eager to help a maiden in distress."

Rith raised an eye brow.

They all sat down at a table and shared stories, well Chris and Merin. The two seemed to get along swimmingly. Rith just drank her drink quietly with Bishop next to her. While Lomilia sat on the edge of her seat, listening to the two's conversation very well.

"What are you guys doing?" Chris asked Merin and Lomilia.

"We're just travelers, been wandering around the coast for a bit and decided to stay a night at the tavern, you?

Chris smiled and said casually. "We're hunting for treasure!"

"And I was beginning to think the Halfling had a mouth on him." Bishop whispered to Rith, who nodded silently in agreement.

"Great, Chris, now we have to kill them." She shook her head and smiled lightly to herself.

"No, they could come with us!" Chris answered. "We need more people if we're going to a big, and dangerous temple."

"Temple you say…" Merin twistd his beard braids around his skinny finger. "Lomilia what do you think?"

Lomilia just looked away. "Whatever you think, Merin, I'm with you."

"I think we should go with them, we need the gold, ha ha, and the adventure!"

Chris smiled brightly. "Great! More to journey with!"

Merin stood up. "And to all my new friends!" He raised he tankered, and Chris bumped his own into Merin's causing the liquid to splash into each other cup's…


	6. A Party for Nobles

**A Party for Nobles**

Rith leans back and sighs; Chris was making them wait long enough. He decided until after he cleaned up the chunk of wood to know for sure what they were facing, he was making them wait outside a mage's store while he cleaned it up with some Sand elf dude and have a wonderful conversation like a bunch of old ladies.

"Why are so down, lass?" Merin asked cheerfully.

"I'm just tired of waiting." She said simply.

"Tsk…tsk… impatience gets you killed, girl." Bishop said, sharpening his knife slowly.

"I don't need your advice, ranger boy, and I'm not impatient, just irritated."

"What did I say about calling me that, wrench?"

"Pretty much the same thing I told you about calling a wrench, I don't care." She glanced at him in the corner of her eyes and smiled to herself, as if his anger reminded her of some personal joke.

Chris walked out of the shop, a look mixture of disappointment and the face he makes when he tries to think very hard. "Guys, we have a slight problem." He announced.

"What?" Rith's 'irritation' vanished.

"Well, you see…" He paused. "We can talk about it somewhere else. Just follow me." He walked toward the Sunken Flagon. Everyone followed.

He put the more detailed chunk of wood on the table he choose in a dark corner and every one sat or stood around it. "Well, you see…" Chris continued. "… I thought we could just walk in and out of the pyramid and boom! We're rich. It's not like that. There are these… puzzle pieces of gold that when put together and then insert in it's holder that will open the treasure room." He explained.

"How many pieces are there?" Bishop asked.

"Three. When I found that out me an' Sand went through a bunch of files. He told me that one person found one of the three."

"Who?" Rith interrupted.

"Lord Ross. He is this noble whose wife throws a party every month to honor he 'great discovery', because he passed away right after he found it."

"How did he die?" Lomilia asked.

"Poison arrows he returned with from wherever he found it. He died of the poisoning."

Lomilia just nodded her head.

"But that's not all…" Chris stated. "You see, when the elves decided what they would do with all their gold, they wanted someone 'worthy' to have it so they set up there tests."

"Tests?" Rith's eyebrow furrowed.

"Yah, the problem is it doesn't describe the test just three words, one for each. Past. Faith. And Strength."

"Sounds like a bunch of crap I don't care about right now." Rith rolled her eyes.

"So back to Lord Ross and his wife. I think I know just how to get it."

"How?" Merin asked. "Will it be fun?"

Chris smiled. "For Bishop and Rith, it will."

"What?!" Rith looked up. "You haven't been explained very well."

Chris chuckled. "Since you're a Te'feyn, a very rich, and powerful family I might add, your considered a noble and besides you spent you childhood training how to act like one."

Rith crossed her arms tightly. "Only most of it, the last half was trying to survive."

"Exactly. And this month's party is tomorrow, so you need to teach Bishop how to act like one as well."

Bishop crossed his arms as well. "Why can't the gnome do it?"

"Because it's more normal for a human to be dating a dark elf than an elf and a gnome!" Chris shrugged. "Think it as a fun adventure for the two of you to bond; you know get to know each other and hopefully shut up and stop fighting all the time."

"I agree, it better for you to go with Rith since, besides me, you are the only other one who knows how to blend with the world." Lomilia spoke to Bishop.

"I don't like it, but I'll do it." Bishop said simply, looking down at Rith.

"Sure, why not, I'll just see if I actually remember how to be a pig head." Rith rolled her eyes.

**XXX**

"One… two… three." Rith counted, looking down at their feet.

"This is ridiculous."

"Hey you guys are picture perfect!" Chris smiled at the dancing couple. "Merin already painted several pictures of you guys for when he writes a book about us all! Isn't great we're going to rich _and_ famous!"

"Great now when I try to steal some one's gold they will identify me and eventually I'll starve and die!" Rith rolled her eyes. "One… two… three." Rith reminded Bishop.

"Why are we doing this?" Bishop asked, looking down at his own feet.

"Drop the act, guys; I know you're both enjoying it on the inside."

"Right in the part of feelings I don't care about!"

"Ow!" Rith grabbed her foot. "You stepped on my foot with your big man feet!"

"I'm sorry! At least I don't have small pixie feet!" Bishop sat down on his bed.

Rith slapped Bishop and limped away, grumbling more about something else that she hated about Bishop.

"For a soon to be married couple, you don't act like it." Chris shook his head. "This is hopeless."

"So could you explain the plan oh sweet and noble Plan-master?" Rith asked, sitting at a chair.

'Plan-master' nodded his head. "There are four parts of the party. The first part is just talking to a bunch of people and getting to know each other as you wait for all the guest to arrive, second is dinner, third is the dance, and fourth is where everyone takes forever to get to know each other more, ask for them to come back again, and say their goodbyes. You guys will disappear during the fourth part because people will just assume that you guys left early." Chris turned his attention to Bishop "Rith is your fiancé and she is marring your and her families together because your father is a rich merchant." Chris looked outside. "It's almost time for you guys to go, so why don't you two go get into your dress and suit?"

Rith rolled her eyes, "Fine." She left their room and went to her own.

Chris pulled out a dark, almost black, blue suit. "How 'bout this?"

"NO!" Bishop threw a pillow at him. "I'll wear breeches and shirt."

"A clean pair?" Chris added.

"Yah, yah." Bishop looked across the hall to see Rith laughing softly as she listened to their conversation while getting dressed. He quickly looked away and at Chris who picked out his clothes.

"These will do." He showed him a pure white shirt with black breeches. "Just button it up all the way instead of having your chest hang out."

Bishop shooed him. "Go! Before I throw my boot at you!"

**XXX**

Lomilia handed Bishop two sheets of paper. "The invitations." She explained.

Bishop sat down; the shirt felt like it was choking him. He heard his named being called and followed the soft voice.

It was Rith. She was wearing an ocean blue dress that covered down to her feet and was lined with gold. Her top was tight and pushed her breast more up, with gold swirly, vine designs. He could tell it was hard leather, obliviously armor in disguise. Her silver hair was pulled up and was braided neatly then swirled once around her head. Gold bracelets were on her upper arm and on her wrists. Her earrings were switched to gold instead of silver. The dress had only a one inch strap on each shoulder and pulled the leather top even more up, as well as her breast. She had the look of noble woman pretty well down with her head held high.

"Could tie this tight for me?" She asked, turning around to show laces that kept the dress on her. He tied it as tight as he could then she turned around.

He looked her up and down. "Damn." Bishop only managed to say, causing Rith to blush lightly and look away.

"Chris picked it out." She said simply. She grabbed a circlet and put it upon her head. "Gods, I haven't worn a dress since I was little! I must'a forgotten how suffocatin' they are." She smiled lightly. "Well, at least I won't die of boredom, just suffocation."

"Is it that bad?" Bishop raised an eyebrow.

"Trust me, Bishop, after you go to this party, you'll never want to go to another again." Rith paused for a minute. "Oh, and when we get there, hold your head high, and smile at everything nice that they say, and laugh lightly, not loudly, at everything funny."

"Like this." He laughed just like Rith, if only a little more masculine. He smiled and raised both eyebrows as she looked up at him and squinted.

"Not funny."

"Well, that's how you laugh."

She shook her head and walked out; the regret is heavy in her aura. Bishop followed.

"My god!" Chris smiled at her. "I knew I was picking out the right dress."

"What? You're trying to suffocate me already?"

He smiled wider. "Nah, not yet, I'll let Bishop have the honor."

Rith looked over her shoulder at him then walked outside. "Come on, I've got a party to crash."

**XXX**

Bishop dropped down from the carriage then turned around and offered a hand to Rith. The wind blew against them with great force and the sky was grey as the sun set. A storm was starting soon. Rith took Bishop's hand and he helped her jump down. She walked up to the carriage driver.

"Leave the carriage after you take It out back, me and Bishop will drive it back home." Rith instructed.

He nodded. "Yes, milady."

Rith wrapped her arm around Bishop's and held his bicep. He smiled at the light touch and they walked toward the huge estate. They handed in their invitation and walked in.

When they walked in, Bishop was slapped in the face with a strong scent of perfume and the laughter of a manly woman.

When he looked up, he saw maybe the biggest boobs in his life. The woman standing I front of them was in her 40s and was a little overweight. She held her chest like she was carrying something with support of her back, and with the size of the jugs in front of him, he understood why. She smiled at Rith with instant recognition and walked up to them. Bishop couldn't help but…

He felt a sharp pain in his ribs. "Don't stare at… them." She hissed in his ear as she leaned in on him. "She gets insulted by that."

Bishop looked up at her ugly face and lightly smiled to himself. Great.

"Rith!" Lady Ross squealed. "I never thought I would see you! When I saw your name on the guest list I almost had a heart attack. The great infamous Rith at my party and with a handsome young man I see!"

She smiled brightly at Bishop. "Why yes." He said in his best noble voice. "I caught her stealing my purse and caught her red handed; in fact that's the start of our long life together."

Rith smiled a fake smile and answered. "Indeed after he caught me, he just won't leave my side, acted like he was pinned to my skirts." She stepped on his foot.

"Does this mean you made up with your parents?"

Rith shook her head. "Nay, I decided I would wait a while and think of the words before-"

"Your mother is here today, do you want to get her?"

"N-"

"Oh fine, but I must say…" Lady Ross puts her hands on Rith's chest. Bishop felt her nails dig into his bicep and her arm tense up. "… You've grown some healthy, plump breasts, you must be proud, maybe living on the streets does have a plus side."

"Yes…" She said through her teeth. "I haven't really notice them."

"It's such a shame." Bishop said innocently. "She never lets me touch them like that." He smiled wickedly in the corner of his mouth.

Lady Ross gasped. "Rith, you must keep your man happy! No wonder h was pinned to your skirts when you first met him." She let her hands drop and curtsied them, before walking away.

"I forgot that she does that. She has a thing for boobs."

They walked into a huge room full of people. They greeted some of the ones that noticed Rith but mostly stayed at their table and spoke to each other.

"We should come her more often." Bishop smiled at her, the scene with Lady Ross fresh in his mind.

"That wasn't funny. She just… grabbed my…" Rith shook her head. "I so despise that woman."

Bishop laughed. "You should have seen your face."

"I am not going to-"

"Rithien?"

Rith looked up at recognition of the voice.

There, in front of them, stood a half drow woman wearing a grey and silver dress. She had bright, almost white, blonde hair, and grey eyes. She had a worried look on her face. Her face… looked a lot like Rith and Bishop made the conclusion that this woman was her mother.

"I don't like it when you call me that…" She said the next word thick with venom. "…Mother."

"Rithien, I named you that and you must accept it."

"Says you, who couldn't even take the thought of her youngest child as a drow, throwing me out like that."

"It was your father's choice to let you free, not mine, and you know better than to speak to me like that."

Rith rolled her eyes. "What, you going to spank if I continue to do so?"

Rith's mother sighed. "Stop you bickering, it's making this young man feel uncomfortable." She leaned toward him and shook his hand. "My name is Thriven, and as you can tell, I'm Rithien's mother."

"Rithien?" He smiles and shaked her hand.

Rith crossed her arms tightly. "That is my full name." She muttered.

"And it is a beautiful name at that."

Rith snorted loudly.

"Do not do that Rithien." Thriven closes her eyes in irritation as she speaks. "You know how un-lady like that is."

Rith rolls her eyes. "Why are you here anyway? You never come to any of Lady Ross's parties. You don't like her."

"Shhh. Don't speak so loud." Her mother hissed. "If you must know, I need information on the strange item that Lord Ross found."

"Why?" Rith asked.

"Because I bought one from a merchant a while ago and came to Lady Ross for information."

Rith stood up. "I need that golden thing."

"Typical…" Thriven smirked softly at Rith. "… The only reason you come to a noble party is to steal from the host." She shook her head and laughed gently. "And I've spent years trying to get you to go one."

"Well, maybe I wouldn't be such a thorn in your side if you leave me on the streets."

"It was not my choice!" Thriven stands up in anger then softens. She cleared her throat and looks over at Bishop. "I hope you will stay for the dance, Rith is an excellent and graceful dancer."

"She does seem to bicker a lot while dancing though." Bishop looked over at her and smiles.

"One of the many things that irritated her father."

"Oh, do send him my best." Rith looks away.

Thriven curtsied and turns around only to stop and look over her shoulder and speak. "If you want the mysterious golden piece from me, you're going to have to pay the family a visit…" She smiled. "And do bring the young man; I'm sure your father would love to meet him."

**XXX**

Rith stood up with Bishop and listened to their names being called.

"Gods, I hate an audience." Rith said to Bishop as they began dancing.

"Why do we have to this?"

"Don't worry; I'll be sure to murder Chris _slowly_."

Rith looked around the nobles who were watching them. There were a few others dancing with them but most of the nobles were concentrated on them. They moved in circles, their feet working together in harmony. Rith didn't bother to look down at her face, just at her mother who smiled encouragingly at the two.

"Congratulations. You made a friend of my mother."

"Yay for me." Bishop grumbles.

"Oh, cheer up ranger boy."

Bishop looks her in the eye and looks away.

"Hey at least you aren't stepping on my small pixie feet." Rith chuckles. "Please tell me, you haven't practiced with Chris in privet just for this moment."

"And if I have?"

"I wouldn't stop laughing."

Bishop looks down at the smiling face. "Are you actually enjoying this?" He raises an eye brow, the familiar wicked smirk plastered on his face.

"No." Rith looks away and blushes lightly. "At least you're being gentle, unlike this one man that my mother made me dance with, he hulled me all over the dance floor."

"Speaking of your mother…"

"Nope, I'm not talking."

"Fine, I'll just go talk to her when were done…"

"I'll kill you before you do."

"Really?"

Bishop felt the cold touch of steel on his throat. She looked him the eye. "I never make an empty threat." She winks and restores the blade to the hiding place.

"Where did you place that? We were searched."

"I have my ways."

The song ends and they stop starring at each other.

Rith stands there silently for a minute then speaks with amusement heavy in her voice and a smile splits from her face. "Damn, your eyes are creepy."

Bishop simply smirks in response and stares at her more.

Rith rolls her eyes and walks away. "Come on, we gotta go steal some things." She whispers over her shoulder

**XXX**

Rith pulled Bishop to a shed outside. The sneaked out of the party and hid in the shed by the stables that nobody used any more.

Rith fumbled with the bottom edge of her top. She then ripped off the skirt and turned it around. It was a black cloak on the inside. She wrapped the warm black cloak around his shoulders and tied it thoughtfully for him. Bishop looked down to see her wearing a pair of clean, black breeches with a sheathed dagger attached to her upper right thigh. Rith kicked off her high heels with irritation.

"You have no idea how bad I wanted to do that all night." Rith said, rubbing her sore feet.

Rith then reached into her top and pulled out Bishop's hunting knife. "I'll give it back when I'm done."

"How did you get that?" Bishop asked. "I left it in my room, and my room was locked."

"I have my ways." Rith hands him the warm knife and reaches into her corset again. She pulled out a leather pouch. "Gods, this was bugging me all night." She pulled it out to show silver rods all connected together by a silver string. She snapped it all together making a silver longbow and then she pulled the silver string and bound it to the other end, creating a strung and useable longbow.

"Where'd you get that?" Bishop needed one of those.

"I got it from one of my runs with my gang. We raided a wagon full of weapons, since we were running short, and I found it. Took me a while, but I figured it out and have been using it ever since, hence how I got the name Silver Bow." She handed him the bow. "Use it, you have a more keen aim than me."

"Who made it?" He asked, gently taking it into his hands and slightly flexing the string. It was 90 pounds of pressure, his bow was 80 pounds but he could use it with no problem.

"Don't know, but I do have a black one and a white one. I could give you one if you'd like."

"That'd be great." He said simply, admiring the bow. He looked up. "What about arrows?"

Rith smiled. "That's the neat part, I use arrows, but you don't need to." Rith gently took the bow back. "Watch this." She pulled the bow string back as if she was about to shoot and Bishop watched as a semi-see-through silver, glowing arrow materialized out of thin air. Bishop opened his mouth slightly in amazement. "Pretty neat huh?"

She handed him back the bow and then pulled out a lockpick from her hair, causing the braid to unravel from around her head and fall silently back to her waist. She crouched and gestured for him to come closer and follow her.

She silently walked around the building with Bishop close behind. She kept to the shadows and headed for a small tower like building. Rith rolled silently to the door and pulled out Bishop's knife and lock pick. She stuck the knife in the slit at the bottom and lightly place lockpick at the top. She moved it around, every once and a while cursing under breath, until finally she pulled both items away and the door swung open silently. She walked in and Bishop followed close behind. Rith closed the door behind her.

She searched the whole entire area for anything living then looked around. In front of them was a wooden stand with a golden piece on it, a window on the ceiling lighting it up with soft white moonlight. Rith walked up to the pedestal and looked for traps.

"No traps?" Her eyebrows furrowed. She picked up the golden thing and watched as the pedestal rose. "Nope, there was a trap." A high pitched noise screamed throughout the estate. "Shit, shit, shit." Rith grabbed Bishop's arm and dragged him. "We're officially screwed." Rith said, walking out the door.

As they walked out, they were surrounded by men in armor. Lady Ross in the background, a crushed expression on her face, "Rith?" She whispered in pain.

"I can explain." Rith puts up her hands and pauses for a moment. "I'm… innocent?" She smiled brightly at the guards.

"These are obviously thieves my lady!" A man that looked like the captain explained to Lady Ross. "We should hang them."

Lady Ross looked at the two then shook her head slowly. "Deal with them as you like." She turned around and disappeared from the crowd. Rith spotted her mother who was held up a short sword. She threw it at Rith who caught it. Thriven knew how deadly her daughter was with a short sword.

"Surrender or else."

"Right…" Rith spoke, drawing out the short sword after quickly buckling it to her waist. "I'm going to have to go with the 'or else'."

They came closer as if to intimidate but Rith was too quick. She took the silver short sword and swung it once. It blew strong wind that paved a path for Rith and Bishop. Rith grabbed Bishop's arm and ran. Rith nodded her thanks for the sword as she passed by. They ran like hell as the guards chased after them.

"Right, so what's next?" Bishop asked as they ran.

"Run until your legs give out."

Rith held his arm as she leaded him towards where the carriage was.

They turned a corner and almost hit the carriage. They jumped upon it and Bishop grabbed the reins, whipping them against the horse's back and they started galloping instantly.

Rith grabbed the side as they ran, almost falling off and cursing. Then it began raining.

It pounded hard against Rith's face as she closed her eyes. She struggled but finally made it up on the seats. She looked over to see Bishop had the black cloak's hood up and over his head, so he could see clearly. "Do you think we lost them?" Rith asked over the rain.

An arrow whizzed between them and disappeared. "Nope." Bishop handed Rith the reins and stood up. He drew the bow and watched as the silver arrow appeared then shot the nearest shadow. He shot one by one until they seemed to disappear. As he went to sigh in relief he heard Rith give a yelp and he looked behind him.

The captain used his men as bait and sneaked unto the carriage. He now held a knife to her throat. Bishop drew back his bow and let another arrow appear. The captain smiled. "Shoot me and she dies."

"Kill him, Bishop." Rith spoke. "I'll be fine, he's bluffing."

"You know I'm not." The captain pushed the knife harder to her throat and Bishop watched as red blood began to slowly drip down to her chest.

The world seemed to freeze. Bishop slowly released the string on the bow and watched as the captain slowly released the pressure on Rith's throat. Bishop quickly drew back the bow string and shot the man in the foot. The captain grabbed his foot in pain and hopped toward the egde of the fast move carriage. Right when he was about to fall off, he grabbed Rith's arm and they both fell off. Bishop watched in horror as she fell off and tumbled down a grassy hill, and stopped moving. Bishop tried to stop the carriage, but he hit something and it flipped, launching him in the air. He landed on his back, the air knocked out of his lungs, and it took him a while to get up. Bishop got up and grabbed Rith's bow. As he passed the captain, he shot him in the head and ran to Rith's unmoving body.

"Rith?" He whispered. She didn't move. "Rith?" He almost shook her awake. He sighed in relief as she slowly opened her eyes.

"You worried 'bout me ranger boy?"

He shook his head and smiled at the rogue. "Get up."

He helped her up as she winced in pain. "Are you hurt?" Bishop asked.

"A bit, I think I bruised my ankle but I'll be fine." Rith limped away from the road. "I think I saw a small shed down the hill, when I was falling."

Bishop let her lean on him as she leaded him toward the small shed. They saw it in through the rain and trees.

Eventually they made it there. The shed was pretty small; it had three walls, but was cleaned out long ago. There were a couple holes and the cold air circulated around inside of it, but I protected them from the worst of the rain. Rith and Bishop leaned again the wall of the shed and beathed heavily.

"Thanks." Rith simply said, looking at Bishop through her wet hair.

He doesn't say anything but just looked at her. Their face inches apart.

Rith leans in slightly, making Bishop think she's going to kiss him, causing him to lean in a little as well, but then she looks away, her eyes full of active thoughts. Rith then scoots her butt farther away from the wall and lies on the grass. Bishop follows, deep in thoughts. They both fall asleep in moments.


	7. Chapter 7

**Pieces of a Puzzle… and Pieces of the Past**

Rith moved closer to the warm object, not bothering to check what it was. The morning was cold and crisp, but Rith was freezing and wet from the dew that early morn.

She was exhausted from the night of running and tumbling. Rith felt at peace for what felt like eternity, until some wet and warm thing touched her cheek. She immediately identified it as a dog's tongue. It continued to pester her and she tried to shoo it away.

"Karnwyr, get away from them, you're going to ruin Merin's picture." She heard Chris say.

Finally it went away then came back then went away. Rith forced herself to open her eyes. Either Bishop knew she was opening her eyes or had been watching her sleep, they were starring at each other, his lips inches from her nose. Rith looked around to see the warm object that she couldn't help to cuddle with was Bishop, and he seemed to be cuddling back. Rith had her face on his shoulder, an arm around his chest and her leg wrapped around his. Bishop had his arm under her body and a firm hand on her shoulder. Rith shook her head and got up, patting the dirt off from her.

"What did I tell you about painting me?" Rith crossed her arms.

"But you are just picture perfect, lass." Merin smiled brightly at her.

Rith rolled her grey eyes. "Paint Bishop, he looks more 'picture perfect'."

Merin laughed cheerily and continued painting. Rith looked at it. The picture looked peaceful and perfect. They laid there with their eyes closed with an autumn background on a pile of leaves in the same shed. Rith tilted her head.

"That's kinda good… in a creepy sort of way…"

Chris looked over at Bishop and nudged him with his boot. "Come on lazy bum, we got things to do!"

Bishop got up, his hair a mess, and grumbled under his breath.

"What was that, 'beautiful'?" Chris chuckled. Bishop just stares at him menacingly and walks toward the faint sound of rushing water, Rith followed.

They walked in silence for a bit.

"Listen." Rith spoke hesitantly. "I want to say thank you for having my back last night."

Bishop grunted in response, looking at Rith in the corner of his eye then looked back towards his destination.

They continued to walk in silence. As they hit the river, and splashed some cold water on their face, they seemed more awake, less irritated, and more alert.

"So what's with the wolf?" Rith asked, sitting on the bank as Bishop got ready to take a bath. She watched him take off his shirt with some interest, a gleam in her eye as if she was thinking about something, only then to be smothered in a scowl more directed at herself, like inside her head she was slapping herself.

"I found him in a trap by some Luskan fool, I let him go and we killed the fool together, ever since then he's been my little follower."

"Why do you think he follows you?" Rith asked looking the half-naked Bishop up and down then looking around her.

"I don't know really, maybe he has nowhere else to go." Bishop takes a step in the cold water sending a shiver of energy and cold throughout his body. He continues walking until his waste deep then disappearing under to the water. He returned to the surface quickly, facing Rith with water flowing down his body. Watching Rith blush he pulled his pant from under him and threw it on the bank, upon a stone to let it bath in the sun and dry.

"Why don't you take a bath?" Bishop asked, looking at her with a dangerous sparkle in his eye, he then walked deeper in the water.

Rith hesitated. The bank looked deep and Bishop wasn't close to the edge. "I… I don't know how to swim. I grew up in a city after all."

"I'll… teach you." Bishop raised an eyebrow and a wicked smile began to form.

"Alright…" Rith said hesitantly. "But I swear if you make _one_ comment about my body, I'll _teach_ you how to _drown_."

"What about two comments… maybe three…?" Bishop asked innocently.

She glared at him.

Rith stood up and pulled off her shirt, revealing a expensive looking, silver bra with some silver beads hanging off it, and sown to the edges.

"That looks like something for a queen." Bishop starred and '_studied_' it intently.

"Yah, I stole it." Rith said simply, unlacing and setting aside her boots. She stood up taking off her pants to reveal a matching pair of undies. Rith had a very slim curvy body that looked breakable if it weren't for her muscles that looked like years of work. Also there were scars. One was on her back, on the right shoulder blade, that looked like someone tried to shank her, and another one her upper right thigh that seemed to be as if an arrow just bristled it. She also had one tattoo. It was sort of had to see but it was a black star with a weird swirl inside of it with two daggers behind it, dripping with poison, and gold coins around it.

"What's with the scars and tattoos, I was just beginning to think that you were perfect."

"Everyone has a tattoo somewhere, in West Gate anyway, and some are naughtier than this." Rith said, touching the water with the tip of her toe. "And besides everyone in the Night masks had to get a similar one for security reasons, to show your part of the gang for life. Mine's different and more complex because I was the leader, and I was supposed to stay there til I died." Rith shook her head the past replaying in her eyes. "Things change…" Rith looked sad.

"Right," Bishop said simply.

Rith then look at Bishop. "Close your eyes?" Rith asked.

Bishop rolled his eye and closed then, listening to the sweet music of Rith getting completely naked. He heard her step into the water and then her slightly cold hands being placed on his shoulder. Bishop opened his eyes to see Rith close to him, shaking with the fear of letting him go and letting the tide take her. The water was up to her breasts since Bishop stepped in the deeper. _A shame_… he thought.

"So what now? I don't usually take a bath in a river with a man." Rith raised a silver eyebrow.

"You just talk and stand waiting for the river to wash the dirt and blood off your body, since we have no soap."

"I had soap, but it's in my bag."

"What does it smell like? Flowers?"

"No." Rith said innocently. "Fruit."

Bishop barked a laugh and rolled his eyes. "So what about the scars they must have an interesting story about how you faced off one hundred gang members with one hand tied behind you back, since you're the 'master thief of West Gate'."

Rith laughed gently. "No, not even close, and if you wanted to make it sound realistic, you're going to have to add demons and dragons and with one hand and one foot, tied behind my back , thank you." Rith said down her nose.

"Besides, I thought _Master Thieves _were supposed to be untouchable."

"I was ambushed." Rith said simply, obviously not wanting to talk about it. "And what about your scars? I thought that the best-ranger-of-them-all wasn't supposed to have scars, but yet you're covered in them."

"I said I thought you were perfect," Bishop slightly sneered. "Not me."

"No one is perfect." Rith says simply, a look of regret covered her face. "There is always a dark side."

**XXX**

"So anyway," Chris continues as they walked toward the Te'feyn's estate. The mansion towered over them. "Lomilia has been digging around and apparently, the coven still lives. They have a base, about a mile south of the golden temple. They escaped during the attack, before it disappeared mind you, and I thought we would stop there on our way to Neverwinter, since we had to walk all the way back to West Gate from Neverwinter just to get this piece." Chris looked at Rith accusingly, only to have a dangerous glance returned as a warning.

Rith walked up to the front steps of the door of the manor, her chin up. A man that looked like any other butler answered the door.

"Can I be of service?" He asked.

"Nice to see you to, Curter, would you mind getting my parents and lead us to the living room?"

"Of course, Mistress Rithien." He bowed and opened the door all the way and opened enough space to them to walk in.

"Just call me Rith, Curter." Rith said, patting the butler on the head (while standing on her tippy toes.) and walking towards the living room.

The entrance room was huge that looked like it could house 100 people no problem. It was mostly white with golden edging, except for the faint dirty hand prints on the walls from what looked like a child. One hand print was on the edge of a doorway, which Rith stopped at and touched the handprint with her own hand and sighed, a sad look in her eyes. She ran her hands down the walls, feeling the old memories, letting them fill her mind. She sighed again, shaking the memories with her head.

Merin cached up to her and tugged at her sword sheath. "Is everything alright lass?" He asked.

"Yah, just peachy." Rith mumbled.

They then entered a large room that could fit another 100 maybe more and had the same white and gold pattern. They sat on the soft blissful sofa, everyone except Rith, would stood, on alert for any "traps".

"So, you really are rich." Chris said looking around. "You wouldn't notice if you somehow missed your share…" Chris smiled at her.

Rith glared at him. "My family is rich, I am not."

"That can easily be fixed, Rithien." The soft female voice called out. Out of nowhere the woman walked toward them. "You just have to come back."

"You kicked me out." Rith scowled at her.

"…And I hold the regret heavy in my heart, even your father misses you."

"Does that mean he actually gives a damn about me?"

"He is your father! Of course he cares!" Thriven spoke firmly.

"Besides you just want to marry me off to the gods' know who."

"You are a beautiful, young woman, not an animal, you have responsibilities, young Rithien," An older drow gentleman joined up with Thriven and held her waist firmly. "Do not speak to your mother this way, not now, with your… friends." The man had short blonde hair that barely reached his shoulders and was tied back. He had a suit that matched Thriven's dress, a light blue color and grey design.

"I wish to meet with this young man, the one Thriven has told me about." The man ran his eyes across the company of Rith. Bishop stood and walked up next to Rith.

"Ahh." The man walked up and shook Bishop's hand. "My name is Tyler."

"That's a human name…" Chris stated.

"Yes," Tyler spoke. "My human father game me the name, my mother died giving birth to me."

Thriven smiled and placed her hands on her belly. "Silvia almost killed me, during child birth, but she is just a prize."

"Speaking of which, where is the squealing harpy?" Rith asked.

Before anyone could answer a young woman came out of nowhere and smashed into Rith, throwing her over balance as she hugged her.

"Rithien!" She squealed. "I can't believe you're here!"

Rith winced as if in pain as her high pitched voice compared to Rith's low pitched, drow voice. She didn't even bother to return the hug. "Yes, and I'm starting to regret it."

"Don't say that." The woman hugged Rith harder and lifted her off her feet, suffocating Rith in the process. "I missed you more than anything ever; I have so much to gossip about. Do you know how boring it is? With no one to talk to but boys, and they are so dull and dimwitted!"

Rith struggled, but finally, pushed away from the blonde woman. "Yes, yes, enough of your love." Rith dusted herself off in disgust.

The woman looked at the others and curtsied. "My name is Silvia; I'm Rith's 'human' sister." She rolled her eyes. Silvia then put her hand sideways on the right side of her lips and whispered. "Rith is a kind of hypocrite."

Bishop looked this woman up and down. She wore a similar matching dress as her mother, a simpler light blue and grey dress. The woman had bright blue eyes that reminded Bishop of Casavir's own eyes, an icy blue, except Silvia's had more energy. Her hair went down to her shoulders and her bang cut away from her eyebrows, and was a bright blonde. Her face had high cheek bones and a nose that was pointed a little up and round. Silvia was tall and skinny, and compared to Rith, made Rith only look smaller. She smiled with her naturally reddish pink lips and straight white teeth, she looked humble but energetic.

Rith scowled at her. "I am not a hypocrite, I just know from being on the streets that humans aren't the smartest race."

"And drows are?"

Rith narrowed her eyes at her but didn't answer back.

"Oh, you must see my dresses, I think I might have a dress in your size, but it's from when I was twelve."

Chris laughed. "You are kinda small Rith."

"You just noticed that." Rith raised an eyebrow, she then looked at her parents. "And you didn't believe me when I said humans were idiots." Rith shook her head and looked like she wanted to leave. "Anyways," Rith spoke. "Where is the golden piece?"

"Oh, yes." Thriven smiled. "It's in the vault; I'll go get it."

Thriven turned around and went to get it, then was stopped by Tyler's hand upon her arm. "They can wait," He said. "Surely they wish to hear stories and eat our fine dinner."

"Stories?!" Chris jumped up. "About Rith?!"

Tyler chuckled lightly. "If you wish to hear some embarrassing stories about Rith I have a few." Tyler gestured toward a door to her right. "Come, to the dining room."

**XXX**

"…So anyway, Rith comes back into the house, naked as a firstborn and covered in mud, from head to toe, running her hand along our white walls! It took hours to wash out all the dirt from her hair, and even after that, her hair wasn't as shiny for months." Tyler said, telling another embarrassing story of Rith's childhood. "That is why there are stains upon them today! Even years of work, we still can't get rid of them, and I can't bring myself to paint over them." Tyler shook his head. "When our children were just little infants, it was such happy times. Rith was such an energetic, happy child." Tyler smiled gently.

"That was before you decided you wanted to kick me out." Rith slouched, gloomy, and picked at her food, not eating a bit of the fancy taste. Her eyes gleamed in the candle light.

Tyler's smile faded away. "We wanted to teach you that the streets had gone to the dogs, but you kept asking for us to donate money to useless causes."

Rith stood up. "They were starving, and you didn't even bother to look in their direction and give them a helping hand!" She looked furious. "I will not debate this, and you know it!" Rith left. "I'm going to my old room." She mumbled, leaving the room furious.

Thriven sighed. "She was such a caring soul, now she's just built up anger, and I don't know why…"

"Being thrown out is a start." Bishop states, eating the food sickly. His stomach did not like the rich food of the nobles.

Thriven frowned and looked sad. "A stupid mistake."

"What about the time Rith mentioned you wiping out her gang just to get her back?"

"Yes, my doing." Tyler said. "I sent mercenaries to get her, but they got out of hand and killed almost everyone."

There was silence.

"Bah." Tyler broke it. "Let's not talk about bad past, and serve these guests their rooms."

They all stood and Curter showed them their rooms. He led them to a long hall way with six doors. He lead them to their rooms and Bishop waited for him to leave, before figuring out which door was who's. He eventually spotted finger prints upon a dusty door handle and knew it was Rith's old room. He opened it and walked in.

Rith stood there at an open window and the breeze blew back her hair. She looked angelic, with a sad look upon her face.

"I'm sorry..." Rith simply said to Bishop, without even looking at him. "…for being such an ass, in front of everyone, I'm just so….so angry at my parents…for….everything."

"You were thrown out cause you wanted to help the poor?"

"Yah, my parents were discussing how to deal with the poor one night, when I was twelve. I told them to help them not be so poor, to donate money, but they looked at me like I was crazy and told me to not intervene in their business. They then began talking about burning the poor district an' kill an' smoke 'em out but I stood up to them.

"My father was so furious he grabbed a loaf of bread threw it at me and kicked me out the door. I was so… scared." Rith sighed. "But…"

Before Rith could finish, there was a terrible high pitched scream.

"Mother!" Rith ran out her door, Bishop close at her heels. They found her on the floor, a panicked look on her face, in the living room.

"There was a man, in the room, I couldn't see his face, but her had the golden piece."

"Where did he go?" Rith didn't even bother to comfort her mother.

Thriven just pointed toward the door way they first entered and Rith ran through the hall way, tracking the thief. Tyler came out and comforted her wife, which Bishop last saw as he followed Rith.

They caught up to the thief quickly, as he looked back, about to jump from the window.

He jumped, barely escaping Rith's grip.

"Follow him on the streets below, and I'll follow from the roofs!" Rith commanded as she jumped off the window, unto the concrete fence around the Te'feyn's estate and tracking down the thief. She was soon at his heels, Bishop following as he went from under the gate they entered and pulled back his bow, aiming for a cloaked man.

The man was obliviously a teifling, from his tail whipping the air behind him, and also he had a short showrd at his side, which Bishop barley saw. The cloak whipped around him, making it hard to see who he was and what his weapons were. Rith was running right behind him, obviously skilled with running on roof tops, for she never lost her footing on the wet, smooth surface and held great balance.

Bishop tried to shoot the man from the roof top, only to have his arrows be dodged or deflected and blocked. He swore under his breath at how hard this was, but Rith seemed to be more skilled with running after someone, probly because she's use to running from her life after getting caught, not that she would admit that she has been caught at all in her life.

The man flicked his wrist. Causing something small to be pulled out of his bracer on his right hand, as he approached the clothes line. He jumped and swung down the clothes line, to a wall where he grabbed a footing, and swung himself to the opposite street of where Bishop was.

Bishop hatched as Rith did the same, always close behind this man.

He then remembered what Rith told him, about being a thief in West Gate. She claimed that to be a good thief is to know the rooftops well and to have a small hook installed into your bracer. She said that there are many people with dirty clothing and wires that line the rooftops and are a quick escape.

Bishop cut through an alley and spotted the man. He was running on a wooden walkway silently, Rith close behind. He grabbed a rope and cut it, and swung from it, running on the wall above Bishop's right. Bishop could see the man's face now. He was hansom, with a close shave and masculine features, a pair of horns sporting from his shaggy black hair. His eyes were red, and looked like a cat's which glowed unnaturally. Rith flinched out her hook and rode down the rope, only when she was within reach out grabbed him, he let go of the rope, and jumped off the wall and unto the roof.

Rith lightly screamed as the rope went limp and she almost hit the wall. She flipped, so her feet hit the wall and bounced off it, grabbing the ledge of the building's roof. The roof was wet from dew, and she struggled to get up. Bishop watched the man take one look behind him before jumping to another roof, and disappearing from view.

"Shit, shit, shit." Rith cursed as she struggled to get up. She looked like a cat, with her flaring arms and legs, trying to get a hold. She dropped down, and landed on her feet, like a cat as well.

"Who was that?" Bishop asked.

"I don't know, but I have a good hunch. Come on." Rith started walking down the street.

"Where are we going?"

"To a tavern, where else?" Rith said, looking back with a glitter in her eye.

**XXX**

Rith drank deep in her cup. Three of her contacts surrounded her.

"No one has come in with this golden item, Silver Bow." One said.

"Maybe you should check your fence…" Another suggested.

"I already did!" Rith snapped. "He claimed no one has sold him the item."

"Enough." The third one, a buff, hairy man said. "We want our pay, Silver Bow, you promised!"

The other two nodded in agreement.

"Tell you what…" Rith took another drink. "You gave me nothing… so that's how much you're getting."

"You give me my money's worth, bitch!" The man ruffle grabbed Rith's arm, pulling her from her seat, causing her to stand and look up to the man through her hair.

"You poor thing…" Rith tilted her head.

Before the man could respond, Rith punched the man in the face. He backed away while the other two attacked. One wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her slightly above him, while the other one grabbed a chair. As he wen't to hit Rith with it, she hit the man in the head with the abck of her own and he dropped her, cuasing the chair to hit him in the head. He feel to the ground. The other went to grab his knife, but Rith's was already at his throat, he froze.

"Leave." Rith simply said, an angry glare in her eyes.

Bishop raised his eyebrows in amazement as the three went walking out with their tails between their legs.

Rith joined Bishop at his table, a full mug in her hand, with a mixture of scowling and deep in thought.

"What?" He asked.

"Don't you hate when you want to avoid something, but it just comes back and bites you in the ass?"

Bishop chuckled. "More than once… Why?"

"Well, I've been trying to put this off but I'm going to have to contact my old gang…"

"The Night Masks?" Bishop asked.

Rith nodded. "Yup, if the thief isn't working with them, then they can help me track them down, I did after all, save the gang more than once, not mentioning I ruled them for about 3 years."

"Why don't you want to go back?"

"Don't like it there."

"Why?"

"When I left, my ex-partner took over, and we left on bad terms."

"Right, so where is their hideout?"

"Follow me." Rith said, getting up and leaving her drinks, along with a gold coin.

They walked out into the midnight air. It was chilly and their breath came in clouds.

Rith to the right, and turned on a dark, slim alley. It could barely fit Rith and Bishop next to each other, but Rith was skinny and small. Rith then turned to the left and the alley widened, giving them space. They then turned to a an opening that held maybe 25 people, who all looked up and pulled out their weapons.

"Leave." A wood elf close by commanded. He had green hair that was pulled back and tan skin. He was a little taller than Rith and green armor glistened in the moonlight. He held a sharp looking dagger and looked skilled with it.

Rith step forward and looked the man in the eye, before punching him in the jaw.

Bishop expected him to try and stab Rith or hit back, but he didn't he just stood there for a moment and laughed.

"You still punch like a girl, you know that, Silver Bow Rith?" He held out his hand to shake.

Rith clasped the elf's hand and smiled. "Long time no see, Cutter Matt."

"Indeed, you come back to join the gang, now that things quiet down now?"

Rith shook her head. "I'll leave that to whoever is in charge… Aiken is still in charge right?"

Cutter Matt nodded. "Aye, taken the place nicely, he has, got us enough money but not as much as you made."

"Well, what can I say? I'm one of the best." She smiled and he returned it, like they shared some secret joke.

"And whose this? One who wants to join up?"

Rith looked back at Bishop then shook her head. "Nah, he doesn't get the cities."

Bishop crossed his arms.

"Come, I'm sure Thrask would love to see you."

Rith shook the elf off. "You got back to uhh… whatever you were doing, I'll go see him myself."

Rith then went back to Bishop and grabbed his arm lightly. He watched as she pulled out his coin purse and put it in her own pocket.

"Just in case." She winked at him and lead him through the place. She watched up to a door with a curtain covering it. A huge mountain of a man leaned up on the right side of the door way, his arms crossed.

The man had dark brown skin and a bald head. He had blue earrings that were thick and were swirls, gaging his ears. He had one arm cover in a tattoo that looked like a dragon with pointy swirls covering the place it did not. Also there was one on his chest that looked exactly like Rith's except fewer complexes. He looked strong as if he could rip the arms off and ogre no problem and only wore a pair of black breeches.

The man smiled, showing his white teeth and spoke with his deep, booming voice. "Well, I'll be damned… If it isn't Rith, my little dove has finally returned."

Rith seemed to glow. "Yah, for the moment, I'm here to talk to Aiken."

"Alright, but you should come back, I was getting lonely."

"You mean besides the several whores that stop by, Thrask?"

The man laughed, which echoed through the street. "You know me too well dove, go on in…"

Rith grabbed Bishop's arm again and lead him into the small place.

A man stood over a table, with what looked like documents, his red teifling tail twitching in irritation.

"My, my…" Rith said, letting go of Bishop's arm. "I can't even leave the gang for a year with out it going to the dogs…"

"It's not going to the dogs…" The man looked over.

"Right, it's just barely holding on."

"Many left." He answered back.

"Maybe if you were better at this, you would be rich."

"You know I'm not the leading type…. But you are." The said, turning around and leaning against the table.

He noticed Bishop for the first time.

"Whose this?"

"His names Bishop, but today he's the guy who gets to shoot you in the face if you try to kill me." Rith answered, not a hint of joking in her voice.

"That was a long time!" The man answered.

"Yah, well, you stole my golden piece, and gave my mother a heart attack."

"I did no such th-"

Before he could finish, Rith pulled out the gold piece, the one that was stolen. The man searched his pockets with no success.

"Don't lie to me, Aiken." Rith spoke in a threatening whisper. "You know that's a death wish."

The man smiled. "You always were a master pickpocket."

"Right since I've gotten what I came for…" Rith said, grabbing Bishop's arm and leading him out of the small hut. They got out of the door, before Aiken in the curtains.

"Wait, Rith." Aiken spoke, Rith stopped in her steps, a smile crept on her face.

"It seems you two are getting along again." Thrask said.

"It was just of bit of bad business, Thrask." Aiken answered.

"You two tried to kill each other!" Thrask smiled.

"That's old news." Aiken answered back.

"You tried to poison her food!"

"You tried to poison my food once?" Rith took a step forward.

"You stabbed Aiken… twice!" Thrask laughed. "You two are going to implode on each other one day with all the ignorance you guys carry."

"You stabbed him?" Bishop raised an eyebrow.

"Twice." Aiken laughed, pulling up his shirt a little to show two stab marks. "Almost died too."

Rith rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I want to come with you." He answered. "I haven't hanged with you in forever."

"You're going to have to talk to Chris about that." Rith answered. "And you're not getting a share."

"Fine by me."

"Wait, can I come too?" Thrask asked. "Be nice to see the country side again."

"How do you know what I'm doing?"

"I heard about it from a little bird, and I want to join, both of us do."

Rith sighed, "Fine…"


	8. Confessions

**Confessions**

"Sure!" Chris smiled at the question. "We need every one we get!"

"Are you sure?" Bishop asked. "That's less of the gold for me… and I don't like it."

"Don't worry!" Aiken said cheerfully. "I'll try and take as little gold as I can from you; this is more for the gang any way, and for chatting with Rith."

Rith rolled her grey eyes. "Great, now I have two men chatting my ear off."

"I thought you enjoyed my company." Chris said, looking hurt.

"You obliviously don't understand 'Go away, Chris!'" Rith said.

Thrask laughed and crossed his arms. "You have weird friends, dove." He chuckled.

"It's a feat I will always regret."

"Regrets are for cowards." Bishop answered.

"If I need your advice, I'll ask, ranger boy." Rith answered quietly.

Bishop glared at her for a moment.

"Rith gave you a nickname?!" Aiken smiled. "It means she likes you." Aiken whispered.

Rith punched Aiken in the jaw and crossed her arms, reminding Bishop of an angry child.

Thrask laughed. "I'm surprised Rith hasn't killed you yet Aiken."

Rith laughed cruelly, losing her angry child look. "I'm amazed I haven't gone senile." Rith looked at Chris menacingly.

"Come on! You love me!" Chris turned the street, and headed for the gates. "And besides I think it's Bishop's beautiful face that keeps you down to earth and on your toes."

After they met up with Rith's parents and Chris, he took the big group and led them towards the stables, where he mounted his horse. Rith's parents gave them their best wishes and begged for Rith to return to the family when she got back, only to have her rudely reply that she never would if they pushed it.

Rith walked up to the horse and pat its nose as it sniffed at her. She had a friendly, cheerful spark in her eye as she pets the horse. She then swung around its neck and attempted once again to saddle it, and again failing. She scowled at the horse for its tallness.

Bishop rolled his eyes, she would never learn, and grabbed her hips gently, lifting her up again.

Rith quickly got on it. "Thank you." She said through her veil of hair.

Bishop nodded in response and lightly smiled to himself, grabbing the reins, knowing Rith would fall asleep on the horse like she usually did.

Aiken walked beside the horse, and Thrask walked beside Aiken, as the traveled and talked.

**XXX**

"So any way, there's me and Rith and we're back to back with 100 enemies between us and the exit…" Aiken continued on his wild, wild tale.

Chris looked at him with awe in his eyes. "Did you kill them all?!"

"No of corse not!" Aiken chuckled. "I had Rith look them in the eye and they turned to jelly, after that we took the 100 enemies and bought them all a drink."

Bishop rolled his eyes. He looked over his should to see Rith was sleeping on the horse peacefully.

The three men behind him laughed cheerily.

"Tell him about the bar fight between a mountain of a man and her."

Aiken smiled approvingly. "Ahh… yes. The Bar Fight."

"You guys are embarrassing to be with." Bishop scowled at them over his shoulder. "As skilled as Rith is, I doubt she could turn 100 men to jelly by looking them in the eye."

Aiken sighed. "Grouch." He mumbled. "Ask Rith, she'll tell you it's true."

"It's not." She spoke with a scratchy tired voice. "So shut up." Rith sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"About time you woke up, dove!" Thrask spoke, patting Rith roughly on the back like she was a man.

"Say why do you call Rith, dove?" Chris asked. "Is there a story to it?"

Thrask laughed. "No, unfortunately I haven't come up with on yet, but I call her it because it's my pet name to her, before Silver Bow."

"I regret having you two along." Rith grumbled.

Bishop slowed so he was on Rith's right side and handed her the reins. She grabbed them and nodded her thanks.

"You know you're overly grumpy today… where's the fun loving Rith I know and love?" Aiken looked her up and down.

"I don't know maybe I left it in WEST GATE!" Rith shouted at them and crossed her arms.

"Something happened…" Aiken stated. "Oh! Maybe you…"

"Maybe I'm getting pissed by having two annoying pains in my ass." Rith grumbled.

Aiken put his hands up in defeat. "Fine, I'll leave The Pair of Grumps alone."

Rith scowled and looked softy at Bishop at the corner of her eye.

"I'm still amazed you haven't killed him." Bishop lightly spoke to her.

"I keep lying myself I'll regret it later." Rith chuckled to herself lightly.

"Hey! Rith remember that one time where you got drunk?" Aiken smiled slyly.

Rith glares at him. "Don't. You. Dare."

"Alright so this one time Rith got really drunk, I mean shit out DRUNK! So any way, she takes off her shirt and pants and starts dancing on our table, singing this vulgar song about potatoes and a melon. It was the greatest day of my life. Days after that, people started calling her Silver Bra." Aiken laughed.

"That's it you're dead." Rith reaches for a knife and jumps off the horse. Before she can punch Aiken in his smug face, Chris grabs her and laughs lightly. He pushes her back on the horse and she crosses her arms.

"Uhh… Chris." Bishop speaks to him.

"Yah?" He asks looking up.

"… You're bleeding."

Chris looks to see a knife sticking out of his shoulder. "Hey, I can't even feel that!"

"Here." Lomilia reaches over and pulls the dagger out.

"Oww!" Chris screams in her face.

Rith grabbed her knife back and wipes the blood on Chris's shirt, before restoring it to its secret hidden spot.

They stop and watch as Lomilia bandages up the wound.

"Dam, Rith!" Aiken punches Rith in the shoulder hard and she falls over, landing in Bishop's arms.

Everyone seems to be missing behind the horse as they stare at each other.

"Sorry." She spoke shyly.

"It's all right." Bishop says back looking down at her.

"Thanks for catching me…" Rith moves closer, an inch away from his lips, and pauses. She then kisses his cheek and goes to reach for the horse.

"Maybe you should walk." Bishop suggests.

"Right, much better." Rith gracefully lets her feet touch the ground and dusts herself off. For a moment she looks up at Bishop, into his eyes, ad stares like she's lost in her world. After a moment of stillness, she looks away quickly and grumbles to herself about something.

XXX

The night was filled the noise of a million specks of life as the seven sat around a campfire. Aiken and Thrask sat next to a log and were arm wrestling. The two struggled with each other, the other never gaining the winning advantage.

"So any way…" Aiken continued on his theories of why Rith was grumpy. "Maybe it's your… time of the month…" He looks over with a smirk on his face and barely dodged the knife thrown at him.

"Shut up." She hissed.

"Oh! Maybe dove's in love…." Thrask suggests.

"Oh yah, when you were love with Nicholas, you were all grumpy and quiet like you were thinking about something…" Aiken looks at Rith quickly.

"Shut up." Rith glares at him hard. "He's gone."

"Who's Nicholas?" Chris asks.

"He's dead, let him rest." Rith snapped.

"Aiken, I may not know Rith as good as you do but you really shouldn't…" Lomilia looks around her gently.

"Come on, Lomilia…" Chris looked over at her. "I just want to know who Nicholas is… so?" Chris looked over at Aiken and gestured for him to continue.

"Right, she and Nicholas were two birds of feather; they were crazy for each other. Hey, wasn't there that time that you two…?" Aiken spoke looking over to Rith only to see an empty space.

"She's gone." Bishop said. "I watched her leave."

Aiken looked at Bishop for the first time and looked at him like he just realized something.

"What?" He looked him up and down at his reaction.

"Rith…" Aiken shook his head. "I can't believe it!"

"What?!" Chris looked in distress.

"I shouldn't say…" He looked hesitant. "I mean its Ri- OK!"

Bishop rolled his eyes and looked at him.

"Rith is…" Aiken paused.

"What!?" Chris literally screamed at him.

"…in…love…" Aiken's smiled grew. "…with…"

"I knew it! It's definitely me!" Chris jumped up.

"No!" Aiken laughed. "It's Bishop." He blurted out.

Everyone looked at Bishop and he looked them all in the eye then got up and left.

"Go to her, lover boy!" Aiken cheerfully shouted to Bishop then returned to his story of Nicholas.

Bishop followed her tracks to a nearby cliff. There was a large stone that a figure sat on. The moon shown light on the figure, revealing Rith.

She had her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees.

"I heard Aiken." She spoke to Bishop, not bothering to look at him. "He has a big mouth and a loud voice."

"Is it… true?" Bishop asked.

Rith sighed then shivered.

Bishop sat on the rock next to her and she lightly leaned on him.

"It's not that…" Rith says, shying away from his question. "It's Nicholas… I never thought… I couldn't…" Rith sighed. "I can't explain it."

"I can't ever imagine you having trouble speaking your mind." Bishop chuckled lightly.

Rith looked up to him, biting her lip for a minute before speaking. "Then let me explain it your way."

Rith leaned in and kisses him on the lips. It long, still, gentle, and warm.

Bishop wraps a firm arm around her lower back and held her jaw. Rith wrapped one arm around his neck and ran one hand through his hair. They kissed long, slowly, and softly, as the moonlight lit the scene.

Rith bit his lower lip and pulled around slowly, his lips snapping back as she released it.

"I-" As Rith goes to say something, he cuts her off with another addicting kiss.

Bishop pushed her body against him and her nails begin to dig into his back and neck as the long kiss becomes mixed with adrenaline. It speeds up and they are pulling apart only to be returned together again.

Eventually they are forced apart to breathe. As they sit there panting, looking into each other's eyes.

"We should probly get back, before they start spying on us." Bishop says standing.

"Yah…" Rith grabs Bishop's hand as she pulls herself up. "And knowing Aiken, he probly did spy on us."

Rith and Bishop return together to the campfire, everyone looking up as they returned.

"Did you guys kiss?" Aiken smiled.

"No." Rith says, laid back with a master liar face on.

"You're lying! I see your nail marks on the back of Bishop's neck!" Aiken burst out.

"Hey, you know how I said I always wanted to make drow armor." Thrask asked Rith.

She nodded.

"Well, I made this, after you left, for when you would return." Thrask pulled out a corset like armor. It was black leather strips intertwined at different angles and was tightly bound together. It was low cut and the straps were thin. The back was completely covered. It went all the way down to her lower back, where strips of it broke off from it and dangled three inches off it before it ended.

"I had Aiken shoot it a couple of time with arrows and it deflects it. It'll keep you safe, dove." Thrask smiled. "Better than your clothing."

Rith smiled beautifully at him and held it up to her chest where it looked like it fit perfectly.

"Thanks, Thrask, your sweet." Rith lowers her arms and kisses him lightly on the head, before going into her tent and going to bed.

"Wait!" Everyone freezes and looks at Aiken as he grabs Thrask's head and smells where Rith kissed him.

He then grabs Bishop rudely and smells his lips.

"You guys definitely kissed." He smiles at them.


	9. Last of the Line

**Last of the Line**

Bishop woke up to the strangest thing that morning.

Rith laid there on her bedroll with Chris, Thrask, and Aiken around her giggling like school girls.

"What in the Nine Hells are you two doing?" Bishop scowled rubbing his face so the heat of his hands woke his eyes.

"If you're worried that were raping your girlfriend, don't worry were just messing with her."

"She's not my girlfriend and-"

"Right…" Aiken rolled his eyes.

"…And that didn't answer my question…"

"Oh just making art." Aiken backed away to show Bishop that they were drawing on Rith's chest and stomach with mud. There was a smiley face with the words 'Be happy, grump' below it. Bishop sighed.

"Do you realize Rith will kill you?"

"Actually I came down to two possibilities. One she could kill me, two she would punch me in the jaw really hard and go wash it off. I'm rooting for number two."

"I'm rooting for number one…" Bishop mumbled.

Just as if the gods answered Bishop's prayers, Rith sat up.

"What the fuck?!" She shouted as she looked down.

Aiken got up and backed away, knowing that Rith had a knife hidden somewhere.

Rith got up and poked Aiken in the chest. "You did this." She threated.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Aiken lied (badly) with a huge smile on his face.

Before he could respond, she punched in the jaw so hard you could feel it hurt.

Aiken face was frozen as Rith passed, tearing off a cloth piece of his white shirt; walking towards the river they camped next to.

"Oww…" He whispered painfully to himself.

Bishop looks over to see Rith removing her shirt and wiping off the mud, then sliding the armor Thrask gave her last night over her chest and tightening it to her approval.

"Here." Thrask grabbed Aiken's jaw and forces it back in place, another painful moment.

Bishop watched as the teifling's tail twitched and curled up in pain. Bishop… smiles.

**XXX**

As they come upon the compound Chris stopped and explained.

"These are the last of the sun elf zealots." He explains. "They don't believe in love, or compassion, only aggression, they have become very aggressive to others that don't have sun elf blood, especially drows."

"Well, that's something to bring up _now_!" Rith glares daggers at him.

"You'll have to stay away, back at camp preferable." Chris suggests.

Rith grumbles under breath and walks away, her head down and her tail dragging behind her as she went back to camp.

They continued on to the compound.

As they came upon them, they pointed their weapons on them. About twenty sun elves surrounded them with arrows pointing at them, every one of them threating to hit them.

Bishop slowly reached for his weapon.

Chris looks at him and shakes his head before turning to speak to the elves.

"Can I see your leader?" He asked.

They all looked at each other than someone called out. Moments later their leader opened the gates and greeted them. He called off the archers as he examined them.

"Interesting group of yours…" He commented.

The sun elf was small, almost as small as Rith, if only an inch taller. He had a small circlet on his head and a white cloak on his shoulders that looked old but expensive. He held his head high and had golden eyes, with blonde hair and golden skin. He had some winkles indicating he was an old elf.

"Please come in, and explain." He turned around and walked into the camp, with every one following.

"We heard you have a golden piece and we need it to enter your golden temple."

The king laughed. "That is old and forgotten, but we do still have the golden piece." He told them. "Getting into the temple is not as dangerous as when you are in the temple. There are machines my ancestors built that still guard the halls and the tests…"

"Could you tell us more about these tests?"

"Yes," He said, sitting down on a golden thrown. He gestured for them to sit, and they were given mats to sit on. "There is Strength, Past, and Faith."

"What do they even mean?" Lomilia asked.

The sun elf king chuckled. "Their meaning of course! Strength is a test of might and teamwork, Past is where you are confronted by your most regretted mistakes and you must be able to accept the past to move on, while Faith is a test of love and compassion."

"Damn, Bishop, were going to have to leave you behind." Chris joked and winked at Bishop.

"I just have one question to ask you, if I may."

"Of course." Chris answered.

"What is it you wish to find in the temple, treasure or knowledge? Answer honestly."

"Well, I was expecting treasure, but I'm not sure til I get there."

The elf smiled at the group. "Of course, and-"

Another sun elf walked up to him and whispered into the king's ear.

This sun elf had war paint on his face that were dark red lines going down his face and neck, which disappeared under his shirt. His hair was braided up and touched the middle of his shoulder blades. The braid had black and red feathers on it. He had a bleeding wound on his chest and left eyebrow that looked like it was cut with a knife. He did not bother to wipe both away, and just let his blood soak into his clothes. He had a shirt that was halfway open and showed more of his paint which was a bunch of hand prints scrolling down to his hips where it stopped. He had a pair of leather bracers on both forearms and a short sword danced at his hip as he moved. Bishop then spotted the last golden piece with a string wrapped around it and tied around his neck. His face was very straight and box-like. He had a pointy chin and neon green eyes.

The king nodded and whispered something back to him. Bishop was only able to catch, '…put her in the arena box and get the gladiators…' with his keen ears but that was all.

The elf nodded, glanced at the group a threating look and walked away.

"My son tells me there was a drow in a camp near here, could be a spy from one of our rival drow camps."

"Did this drow have a name?" Chris asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice.

"He said a Rath, or Reth…" He shook his head. "Drow names are hard to follow."

"Rith?" Merin suggested.

The king jumped up. "Yes… Rith."

"What do you do with spies?" Bishop asked.

"Well, first we see if they are a spy, we kill them."

"And if they're not?" Chris asked.

"We sell them to our drow rivals who then use them as slaves or marriage."

Chris and Bishop looked at each other slightly.

"Well… Is she one of yours?"

Chris paused. "No." He lied.

"Very well, we will interrogate and see if she's a spy, care to join me?" The king asked, standing up.

"We would be pleased." Lomilia answered.

"Come." He lead them. "You must have dinner with us."

He gestured for them to follow and lead them through the big compound.

"Isn't this a city?" Chris asked. "It seems big enough."

"Cities are on maps." Bishop answers.

Chris nodded.

As they walked through the large dirt streets, They all stopped as a group of sun elves were handling a drow that was causing problems.

This drow was Rith, who was flailing and struggling with the king's son. He had her on his shoulder but she was struggling. Her hands were bound behind her back but her feet were not.

Finally her swore loudly and dropped her on her feet. As he did she spat in his face and went to run. The king's son grabbed a hand full of her hair and pulled her back, causing her to swear in turn. He then forced her on her knees and held a knife to her throat. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she sat there, facing the group, who had stopped to watch.

Her eyes quickly scanned the scene. The king looked over at Chris with a different look in his eye and Bishop could tell, he wasn't being friendly any more.

"I will ask one more time…" He said in a dangerous tone. "Is this your drow?"

Rith looked at Chris, expecting a yes but instead, Chris took a breath and looked her in the eye. "No."

"Very well," He made a motion and his son yanked Rith by her hair to get up and took her away. She gave Chris a cold look and disappeared behind a building. "Guards, escort them to the arena and have the servants bring them food, we shall show them what we do to drows.

As the king left and guards roughly escorted them to a wide area, surrounded by a high wall with seats on top. When the guards left, Bishop took the time to confront Chris.

He pulled out his skinning knife and slammed Chris against a wall, a knife at Chris's throat, keeping him down.

"Are you crazy? They will butcher Rith in front of us then execute us as well for lying to them!"

"I told you," Chris squirmed. "If we told the truth then we would have been arrested with her! I have confidence that she will pull through this and get the gold piece."

Thrask grabbed Bishop by the back of his shirt and pulled him away like a doll, sitting him down on a bench and patting his head like a dog.

Bishop blared at the group and sheathed his blade, think of different ways of torcher from when he was in Luskan for Chris if Rith didn't make it.

After selecting the best, most painful way to torcher Chris, it started soon.

There were horns that seemed to blow their ear off as the king entered. He raised his hands to the crowd and it roared to him in response. The arena was full of sun elves, their skin glinting in the sunset.

"Today, we are here to celebrate our ancestors culture and to preserve the memory of the Golden Temple for the hundreds of years we have lived!" He roared. "Now we will begin celebrating this by testing the powerful drow spies and pitting them against each other, the winner as a reward to my son!" He gestured to his son, who raised his arms and let out a booming war shout. "Now, let us begin by showing our captures!"

He gestured to several sun elf wizards, who then all made a magical gesture at the same time that made several platforms to rise. Several different drows stood on these platforms, chained held them down that went from their wrists to the floor of the platform. In one of them on the left, held Rith. She looked up and gave a cold look the group before looking at the others.

"The last two to survive win!" As the king clapped, the chains upon her wrists released…


	10. Rith's Side of the Story

(Just to clear things up, I'm going back a bit to how Rith got captured and so this starts out in when Rith was alone)

**Rith's Side of the Story…**

Rith grumbled and kicked a twig as she walked in the woods, toward their campo they left behind, knowing they would come back. She hated Chris with his late news about everything and Aiken with his embarrassing stories about her screw ups and other stupid crap like that. Rith thought for a moment. What if she left? Just got up and left, she didn't need the money, she could get her own. But Bishop… she could leave him… not matter how hard she tried. She hated herself for this. Love is for children, she would tell herself, not always on the run thieves and rangers who didn't care. She hated the gods for placing these feelings inside them and hated herself for giving into them… But that night… his lips and touch…

Rith shook her head and grumbled more to herself. Everything Bishop said and did made her irritated and angry but yet made him even more poisoning and irresistible. She wondered how he felt on the matter and then stopped in her tracks and sighed dreamily. She was thinking too much… she needed to stop thinking about Bishop. Reluctantly she stopped thinking altogether and returned to walking.

On her third step she tripped over a trip line and fell into a net which then scooped her up in the air. She cursed herself for her foolishness. This was why she didn't think about Bishop, because the very thought of him made her loose her edge, her awareness, she hated it. Just before she had a chance to slice open the net, a bunch of sun elves were pointing spears at her. She froze, hoping to reach the dagger in her hair.

Before she could grab her knife from her hair a fierce looking sun elf with a shortsword cut it open and quickly snatched her by her throat.

"Another spy." He said to the others behind him.

"But, she doesn't have the face markings like the others; do you think she's just a traveler?"

"Maybe, but I won't take the chance."

"What the hells?" She swore, trying to shake him off.

The elf slammed her against a tree. "Shut your bloody mouth, you dark skinned bitch!" He moved closer, his hot breath sticking to her cheeks. "I'm going to enjoy you." He wickedly smiled at her.

Before he could get far, Rith cut his chest and held another blade to his face, above the eyebrow. "Move. I dare you." Rith squinted her eyes, pushing the blades deeper, causing blood to run down her face.

Another sun elf moved like lightning, punching the blades out of her hands.

The sun elf holding her throat unexpectedly let go and she landed on her butt, grunting at the pain that surged up her spine. She was then tackled by the elf she assaulted and was held down as they bound her hands. She struggled, trying to make the knots as loose as possible but they caught her trick and punched her arm hard, causing her to lose her strain of pulling her arms apart. They then took this advantage to tighten the rope as best they could.

The leader of the group of elven scouts grabbed her hips roughly and threw her on his shoulder. He held her upper thigh unnecessarily, feeling it as best he could. Obliviously he wasn't gentle on the ladies.

She was carried for she didn't know for how long but before she knew it, they arrived at a small gate that he unlocked with a key and kicked open with his foot. As he walked through, several sun elves greeted him.

"Hey El'rikor!" a sun elf voice called to him. "You seem successful in the hunt!"

"Aye," The elf carrying her spoke. "Another female!" He cheered.

"Great!" Another voice spoke.

Rith heard a bunch of people stand up at different times.

It seemed to Rith that spanking their captures was normal because before she knew about it, 60 different men spanked her ass and howled like wolves.

She winced in pain every time someone spanked her hard, but thanks to Lolth, it soon ended, and they continued on.

Rith was then sat down at a bench roughly.

"Watch her, while I tell my father…" The sun elf, El'rikor, walked away and Rith was then surrounded by five different men.

**XXX**

"Stop." Rith commanded as one man pushed her against another. Another man pushed her back towards the one who started it and again started another pushing rally with Rith in the middle. One grabbed her sore backside and gave a squeeze, winking at Rith. She glared at him and broke the ropes binding her hands and punched the elf in the face. The elf's lip began to bleed and whipped it away, he then wrapped his arm around Rith and pulled her closer, kissing her rudely on the lips and then moving down her neck and on to her breasts. She forced away as best she could but failed and went to punch him in the face again but El'rikor called them off.

"Enough!" He demanded.

Rith flipped away hair from her eyes as the menacing looking elf walked up to them.

"She's mine." He then punched the man who was rude to her in the face, making his nose bleed now. The rude elf nodded quickly and looked away from his eyes, obviously fearing El'rikor.

"Oh, so you own me now?" Rith rolled her eyes, secretly thankful by being saved from another gross kiss but disgusted on how El'rikor and his men treated woman.

El'rikor grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her close. "That's right." He dropped her on her feet and quickly turned her around quickly and re-tying her wrists together. He then picked her up and roughly threw her on his shoulder.

Rith was tired. Tired of being raped and groped, waiting for someone to rescue, so she fought back. She struggled for some while until finally El'rikor got tired of it and threw her down on her feet. Rith took this opportunity to run away, only to have been grasped by the hair and been yanked back on her knees. A cold knife was held to her throat and she kept still, deciding that it would be best to stay still and catch her breath. As she looked around she realized that her companions were staring at her with pitiful eyes… well… except Bishop. He just crossed his arms and glared at Chris.

"I will ask one more time…" The sun elf king asked in a dangerous tone. "Is this your drow?"

Rith looked at Chris, expecting a yes but instead, Chris took a breath and looked her in the eye. "No."

"Very well," He made a motion and El'rikor yanked Rith by her hair to get up and took her away. She gave Chris a cold look and disappeared behind a building.

Rith cursed Chris every step she took, she thought of different ways to kill him and before she knew it she was being shoved into an underground entrance that went under a huge arena. They threw her on a platform and attached chains to her wrists, before cutting her binds. Rith could see in the distance of dark forms beings of different drows. Someone then came along and began strapping her weapons onto her body, returning them to her, and that's when she knew, that fighting was soon to come.

She felt the platform below her feet rise and a blinding light began above her head. She looked up as a view began to sink and she began to rise. She squinted her eyes at the sun that was beginning to set. Rith looked at the group looking down at her coldly before she began to think of escaping. She looked up at the king who began to speak.

"The last two to survive win!" As the king clapped, the chains upon her wrists released.


	11. Survival

**Survival**

Before anyone could react, Rith pulled out two throwing knives and threw them at the hearts of the two nearest drows. She wasn't afraid to kill anyone here for her own survival, even if they were her 'fellow drows'. She looked over to see one fierce looking woman threw a dagger at her and Rith barely dodged it and even then it lightly cut her scalp, on her hair line, an inch from her forehead back and bled like crazy. The deep red blood was warm and barely got into her eyes as it ran down her face. Rith grabbed another dagger and repaid the favor by throwing the dagger at woman who cut her head and it planted itself right where Rith wanted it to, in her chest.

A metallic taste got into her mouth as blood from her forehead dripped into her mouth. She felt it slid down her chin and dripped down. Rith grabbed a dagger and blocked an attack from her left. There were five drows left, not counting herself, and all she had to do was kill four… Someone then threw another dagger and she caught it in midair by the blade and threw it back.

Another fierce looking drow stabbed at her and she gave a light squeak as she barely dodged it, bending her body back and having the blade a centimeter from her nose.

She punched the drow's wrist, disarming him, and grabbed the sword as it fell in midair where she stabbed the elf in the belly. Blood sprayed all over her like water as she pulled at the sword. Rith wasn't trained very well in sword work but she could still use it.

She parried a blow from an insane looking drow with two daggers and slashed her throat.

Two left…

A woman who was crying wailed as Rith came near, dropping the sword, Rith paused. Thinking twice about killing the innocent woman but before she could do anything, a blade came up and planted it's self in shoulder. She gave a grunt as she fell on her knees, and her dagger fell from her hands. She felt her pulse in her shoulder as it bled out and looked up as her view began to slightly become blurry. A drow man came into view, a giant greatsword pointed at her throat.

"You killed my partners." He hissed. He raised the sword up and yelled. "You will pay for their deaths!"

Just as he was about to strike, Rith's dagger planted itself in his chest but yet Rith did not move. The drow woman who had cried had plunged it into his heart, obliviously not wanted the only drow who thought twice about killing her. He dropped and Rith stood there stunned that she wasn't dead.

The woman began crying even louder as he fell, leaving the dagger in his chest.

Rith got up, but just as she did the drow pulled the dagger out of his chest and made a grunt. It was an almost silent grunt but Rith's keen ears heard it and knew he wasn't about to die yet. Just as he jumped to plunge the dagger in-between her shoulder blade, Rith dodged it and jumped to the side. Unfortunately the drow woman who was crying was in front of her and he ended up killing the woman who was crying. It landed in her head and Rith flinched away as another wave of blood hit her and the crying woman fell over dead. The man soon died from blooding and fell onto the crying drow and died as well. Rith looked up and saw that everyone was dead, except her.

She felt her lips tremble.

And fell to knees…


	12. Guardian Angel

**Guardian Angel**

The next events were a little fuzzy for Rith. As she fell to her knees two sun elves came out of nowhere and dragged her off the arena and onto a bigger platform which led to the king's tent of where he watched.

Rith looked up, blood fresh on her body and dripping down her face.

The king stood. "Your prize, my son." He stood to the side as El'rikor walked up to Rith.

He grabbed her jaw firmly and tried to kiss her but she shook her head away.

He then slapped her across the face with the back of his hand and everyone went silent. Rith slowly stood to her feet, arms still held back, and gave him a dangerous look. She then spat blood at him and it landed at their shoes. Just as El'rikor went to hit back, Bishop pulled out his new black bow that Rith had given him a few nights ago and watched as a black, half transparent arrows appeared on the string and he let it go. The arrow flew through the air and hit El'rikor's shirt and pinned him to a post that held up the top of the king's tent. He looked up to see Bishop already had another arrow draw and ready to release.

"Father, I believe the guests have over stayed their welcome."

"Yes," The king looked suspiciously at Bishop as he lowered his bow, the arrow disappearing. "Guards, show them the doors, non-too gently."

Bishop slug his bow over his shoulder as sun elves grabbed their arms and escorted them out.

Rith looked over with a sad look as they moved away from view.

She was then pulled away roughly and she fought to take the time to personally stab El'rikor.

"Take her to my tent, after you clean her up." Was all he said as they hauled her away.

She just looked him in the eye coldly, colder than she ever thought possibly and thought of painful ways to kill him.

They eventually moved her to a part of the compound full of tents and stripped her of her weapons.

The elves then roughly scrapped her of her clothes and she cursed them as they ripped the delicate fabric off, except her armor, they just lifted it up off her head, and left her in her underwear and bra.

They sat her in a tin tub and pour water over her and it soaked her, but cleaned her of the blood, sweat, and dirt upon her body. As she sat there shivering, one of the mages from the arena walked up to her. He didn't say anything just examined her as she shivered and then did a sudden fire spell that dried her immediately. He then rudely pulled some strands of her off and did something to them that Rith caught as a sort of binding or tracking spell, she couldn't hear the wizards words clear enough to really tell. After that he made some commands that sound like elvish and she then had a white, sleeveless dress that went to her knees and was a bit big for her thrown on her and she was then shoved around the campsite til she hit a cage full of woman, mostly drows with the occasional sun elf and they all wore the same white dress. She counted 16 of them, 3 sun elves and 13 drows.

They forced her to stand while they waited for someone, most likely El'rikor. She then began to plot her escape. She was about to pounce on the guard watching her when she watched as El'rikor passed by with her belongings and freshly cleaned clothes. For a second she thought they were letting her go but he just passed by her and put it in a truck full of other things, she figured out to be the other woman's belongings.

He then began talking to the guard standing next to her.

"Why is she not in the cage?" He jutted his head back at the cage.

"It's too full." He simply answered back, the smell of fear swarmed her nose.

"Then make room," He said, walking towards the cage and Rith watched as all of the woman in there strained themselves to be as far away from him.

Rith looked closely and saw that some woman had dried blood on their faces and dresses, and were stained with dirt. Rith watched as he opened the cage door and looked around the group of panicking women. She gasped in horror as he grabbed one of the drows by the hair and pulled her out.

"What are you doing!?" Rith took a step forward then was yanked back.

"Showing you what happens around here, dearie." El'rikor said, half laughing, as he roughly pulled her, obliviously enjoying himself. Rith looked over to see the other women clinging to the drow being pulled, trying to save her.

Finally El'rikor won, and the drow was forced out of the cage. Rith gasped in horror as El'rikor pulled out a knife and started stabbing the drow, and red splotches were showing on her dress. She crumbled to the ground and died, leaking blood unto the grass.

"You bastard!" Rith swore, fighting to claw El'rikor's eyes out.

"Throw her in the cage, I'll be back in an hour." El'rikor walked away and then stopped. "Oh, and pick up this trash." He gestured to the dead body of the drow and walked away from view. The guards that were holding her back then threw her into the age and closed it behind her. Rith tried hard not to gag and eventually started to breathe right. The cage smelt of urine and bad body odor.

"You'll get use to it." A soft voice spoke.

Rith looked up at a drow with dark, almost black, with a tint of purple skin and dark red eyes. She had a pretty face, with smudges of dirt planted upon it. She smiled cheerfully. "I wasn't part of the drow encampments too, I was a merchant."

"I'm… just a thief."

"Ahh, one of the many who gives drows the bad name, eh?"

"What's your name?"

"The names Vilia, you?"

"Rith." Rith smiled, looking around her. "Hasn't any one wanted to get out?"

Vilia's smile faded. "No one has the courage to. El'rikor, he'll rip you apart, slowly and torturous. He enjoys that, torturing women, it's one of those things his father approves of."

"I'm changing that." Rith said, darkly.

"You don't want to anger him." Vilia said, fear filling her eyes. "He'll kill you."

"Unlike everyone else here, I'm not going to let myself get raped and beaten until I end up like her," Rith gestured to the dead drow. "I'm getting myself out."

Vilia stopped being friendly. "We haven't given up. We're just scared. You will be soon."

"I already feel it," Rith admitted. "But, I'm not letting that dominate me..."

_…Yet._

**XXX**

Bishop grumpily trudged away from the encampment, hating Chris with every footstep.

"What's your problem?" Aiken asked, straining himself to keep up.

Bishop just made a growling noise of a wolf and walked a little faster.

"Worried about your girlfriend? I bet she'll brake herself out."

"… and kill Chris."

"… After giving you a kiss..." Aiken smiled.

"… For killing you painfully." Bishop smiled in the same manner Aiken did before.

"Why don't you just save her?" Aiken asked.

"I am, but I'm trying to get out of the view of the encampment, their watching us."

"How can you tell?"

"Because they are following us to our camp, but once we hit those trees, I'm going around to the back where the king's son is, and killing him… slowly."

"You and killing should get married…" Aiken smiled ruefully. "Of course that would just piss Rith off."

"Something I have considered." Bishop smirked to himself.

Just as they entered the trees, Bishop started to head west, away from the group.

"Where are you going?" Chris asked behind him.

"Don't worry, he's just fixing your mistake." Aiken smiled.

Bishop walked silently in the forest always depending on his feet not to step on a twig. He circled around then took the approach of walking on the edge of the forest and looking for a weak spot. There, right where a watch tower was blind and the trees hugged it, was a slim spot where the two of the logs of the barricade separated enough for him to squeeze through, and he did just that. Sucking in his breath and nearly falling over, he was through it. Bishop hugged the nearest building, sliding along it as he tried to figure out where he was. Pleased that he was close by, spotting Rith from a distance, he watched as they pulled her out of a cage.

**XXX**

Rith was sure she fell asleep, because before she knew, she was being shaked awake and hauled on her feet. They held her arms to her sides and brought her to the nearest tent, escorting her inside. The tent was littered with stuff, as if it was the tent was to an irresponsibly fifteen year old. Through the trash and thing were stacked away it was still disorganized. She spotted in the smallish tent a white double bed, witch looked and was comfy, even though Rith knew that it was used by sinister purposes. The pole to holding up the tent was right above the pillows of the bed, and that was where her hands were bound. They tied as tight as they could and left her there, sitting and slightly panicking. Rith cursed herself for sleeping instead of trying to break out, so as soon as they left, she messed with the binds. It was a sturdy rope, and hard to break. She didn't have much time, because suddenly El'rikor was at the door, staring at her. He smiled cruelly and walked toward a pile of clothes and took off his shirt and boots. He laid his weapon and the last golden piece on the small table next to the bed, before settling himself on Rith's lap, where he began feeling her hips and kissing her neck.

Rith extended her neck as far as she could, trying to move away from him. She looked down to see him smile at her attempt and continued kissing her till he was close to her lips... Rith closed her eyes slowly and thought of other things, only too quickly, an arrow found itself in his chest and he gasped. She watched as a drop of blood fell from the arrow tip and unto her as El'rikor fell over slowly, dead.

She looked up to see Bishop at the door, a firm angry hold on his bow.

He walked up to her, looking down, watching her chest rise and fall with adrenaline. He kneeled soundlessly and cut her binding in one smooth motion.

Before anyone could react Rith quickly leaned into Bishop, wrapping her arms around his neck and giving him a long smooch that lasted for a lifetime. As she pulled away Bishop slightly leaned forward but stopped and notice of several people at the tent entrance.

"You killed El'rikor…" Bishop looked over to see the king and two of his guards standing near.

Bishop stood and aimed for the king, a black arrow materializing on the string. Rith stood quickly.

"Guards… I want these two captured and tortured slowly, they don't die until I'm tired of hearing their screams." He walked away, his face filled with sadness and hatred in his eyes.

The guards rushed at them their spears pointed at them. Bishop released his arrow and hit a guard in the eye. He made a gurgling noise and fell. Rith rushed, slid on her knees with her back parallel to the floor and punched the man's spear shaft, breaking the tip off. She then grabbed the shaft, threw it over her head with the guard still clinging it. As he landed, she stomped on his head with all her force and cracked his head, bleeding out on her foot a bit. She looked up.

"Bishop we have to get out of here."

He nodded and grabbed the last golden piece and keys from El'rikor's small table. He then grabbed Rith by the waist and nearly threw her out of the tent. Rith quickly snatched the keys from Bishop and walked up to the chest, opening it and retrieving her stuff. She looked over at the cage of women and debated whether to let them rot in the cage out of anger for their weakness or let out in pity. Rith stood in front of the cage and looked down at the poor defenseless girls. She shook her head and dropped the keys, too out of reach for the woman in the cage. She left the area looking back as they struggled to get the keys to their cage.


	13. Ch13 The Golden Temple

**The Golden Temple**

Rith felt safe in Bishop's arms. It was a weird feeling because whenever anyone grabbed her it was to get their money back. Rith noticed sometimes that she would lean into him. Of corse Rith mentally kicked herself and sat strait as they both rode the horse. Rith would catch the tiniest smirk from him whenever she did it.

They stole the horse from that elf encampment. It was far better than the mule they got so two people could ride it. The mule now carried just their equipment and Rith and Bishop used the horse they rode now to scout ahead for sun elves hunting them.

"I'm going to scout." Bishop says and hits the reins.

The horse runs fast, and Rith's hair whips from her face. A giant smile spreads across her face. She loved this horse's speed.

After a while of looking they stop, Chris too far away to see.

Then Bishop suddenly grabbed Rith's waist gently and turned her around so she sat on the horse backwards and her legs wrapped around Bishop's waist.

Rith slowly smiled and they leaned in for a kiss. It was slow and gently and a kiss Rith would probly never do with anyone but Bishop. She lightly scratched his back and neck, this time sure not to leave a mark. He moved her jaw in a circular, firm motion and held Rith tight, not wanting to let her go. She ran her hands through his hair and sometimes leaned back to make Bishop work for a kiss.

It last for a couple of minutes before Bishop stopped and looked into her eyes.

The amber yellow of his eyes taking her in and keeping her.

She smiled at his hair, which was now a mess like he just woke up. Her smile lit up his eyes, causing him to smile a bit too.

Then that smile faded as he looked her shoulder. She noticed his reaction and turned quickly around.

There stood a giant golden temple.

They must have been too distracted to miss a giant temple that gleamed in the sunlight like a beacon. They, also, must have been too long because Chris comes right over the corner in the middle of the forest to see Rith's legs wrapped around Bishop.

"Really guys? A room wasn't good enough or was the horse expose to make it a three-some?" Chris asks, a smug smile spread across his face.

"Fuck you, Chris." Rith simply says and turns around, after fixing Bishop's hair.

Chris shrugs modestly and walks. "We better get hurrying." Aiken says. "It's almost sunset.

The inside of the temple wasn't exactly gold but more like a shiny, gold-like rock. Unlike the outside which was gold. Rith smiled at the riches that must be inside. Unfortunately there were no lights but Chris had a torch made by some pile of bones found outside. In fact there were a lot of bones everywhere, but no inhabitants. Rith shrugged at that. Less people to protect the gold, she just had to be watchful of traps.

They walked into a huge hall ways, big enough for five men shoulder to shoulder, and just went to an internal darkness.

"Well, let's see what's ahead." Aiken smiled and started walking.

After walking down the hallway for what seemed like forever they all came upon a room. It was big but not large. No bones are in it, Rith thought. All there was, was a large glowing light on a pedestal and Iron bars on the ground. Rith walked up to it casually and examined it, the others following behind.

"What do you think it is?" Chris asked. He reached a hand out and touched it. It glowed brighter and floated to the ceiling then halted. The iron bar swung up and trapped them all in a small square.

"If this kills us," Rith sneers at Chris. "I'm torturing your soul."

Chris slightly smiled like it reminded him of some private joke and the orb went through the bar and started spinning around their cage. As it started spinning the pedestal started slowly twisting, going down.

"Why do I have a feeling that's how long we have to live?" Lomilia asks.

"Because it is!" Rith says and tries to jam it with a piece of board on the ground. It shattered. Rith swore aloud.

The orb begins spinning faster and so does the pedestal, until it hits the floor. It makes a loud boom as it gets in place and the orb just stops spinning.

"See nothing happened." Chris shrugs.

The floor opens up. And everyone starts falling.

The wind rushes past their ears and blows back their hair. Rith's hair looked like a ribbon in the wind; it reminded Bishop of ribbon dancers he saw at a party once. He liked that party.

"I am really starting to fuckin' hate you Chris, just a little." Rith says looking down as they fall.

"Don't worry it happens naturally!" He simply winks and smiles at her. She rolls her eyes and resumed looking down.

"Shouldn't we like scream or something?" Aiken asks.

"Seems good to me." Chris says.

"Any of you screams and I'm slicing your throat." Bishop sneers.

"Oh, Bishop, I'm sorry, would you like to scream with me?" Aiken asks innocently and holds out his hand.

"You're not good enough, sorry." Bishop smiles cruelly and pushes his hand away.

"But Rith is?" Chris asks.

"Damn right." Rith snaps, winking at Chris.

"She has her specialties." Bishop shrugs.

"You mean she has a vagina!" Aiken laughs.

"And you don't? Shame… I always thought-" Rith smiles wickedly.

"Oh I do honey I do." Aiken smiles and Chris laughs.

"No wonder you're such a pussy." Bishop says and Thrask busts out laughing.

"Can we please stop with conversation? I think we're a little busy here!" Lomilia asks.

"I'm sorry; did you want us talking about your vagina?" Chris asks.

"Do it and I'll kill you." Lomilia scowls.

"Guys, bad time to mention this, but I think I see the bottom and its water." Aiken says.

And it was water, a lot of it, and it was coming up fast.

Rith's head snaps up and looks at Bishop with a worried face.

"Water! Bishop I-" SPLASH!

Bishop's body is shocked with pain and cold. He was amazed he was still alive. He swam to the surface and spotted a small island. He swam to it.

"Everyone alive?" Chris asked.

"Sure is but I believe we're missing someone." They looked around.

"RITH!" Bishop shouts and jumps back in the water. He swims underwater til he spots her sinking figure. It stopped moving. He swims desperately to Rith. She floats there like a mermaid in pause. Her hair a beautiful flair of silver. He face looked peaceful and prettier than ever but she was dying.

Bishop swings an arm around her and pulls her to the surface of the water. He gasps for air but Rith stays limp in his arm.

He pulls her to the island and lays her on her side and begins pounding her back, forcing the water up. Chris and Aiken are on her sides while Thrask pet her head. Lomilia and Merlin looked over their shoulders.

Her silver hair gleamed in the darkness.

"C'mon Rith." Aiken lightly says. He looks up with a joke on his tongue.

Chris puts his head to her chest. "Her hearts slowing down." He looks up urgently.

Bishop concentrates on empting the water but it's not pouring out of her lungs.

Finally she starts coughing. It pours out of her mouth but Bishop doesn't stop pounding her back until every last drop.

"Holy fuck, you hit hard!" Rith says, panting.

"Why didn't you tell us you couldn't swim!?" Chris snapped grabbing her shoulders and shaking.

"I was too busy drowning!" Rith snapped. "Took you guys a while to notice." She shoves him away.

"Didn't take Bishop long." Aiken's teeth gleam in the darkness.

"Better him than you." Rith's teeth gleam back.

They look at Bishop stern face towards Rith.

"Hey bro, look on the bright side," Aiken smiled. "If she died, you would have still been able to fuck Rith's body." He shrugs and Bishop has to hold himself back to punch him in the face. Rith does it for him.

"That's sounds like something you would do."

"Maybe a little." Aiken shrugs.

They look around and spot half underwater stairs that leaded to a closed golden door.

"Think theirs treasure behind that door?" Aiken asks.

"Better be." Rith says then tries walking toward it then stops.

Bishop sighs and begins walking in the water with her, his hand on her elbow as they swim together towards it.

They open it and there is a giant machine in front of a giant door, with a hole for where the golden pieces go.

Rith walks in and the machine turns to life. It takes a step forward and swings a mechanical sword at her. She jumps nimbly and lands like a cat.

"AH, hell nah!" She says and pulls out a throwing dagger. She aims for its gear on its sword arm. It jams for a bit then the blade breaks and he begins swinging again.

Bishop ducks behind a pillar and pulls out his bow, drawing back the string. A black arrow appeared and he fired at the gears. Again it jammed and the transparent arrow broke then faded away.

"Fire at the joints! That will at least slow it down til we see a weakness!" Chris orders then he takes out a throwing ax and it jams in its leg joint, but it doesn't break.

Chris, Merlin, and Lomilia throw rocks at it while Aiken shoots his crossbow. Bishop shoots arrows and Rith seems to throw a hundred throwing daggers.

She throws another dagger then gets behind the pillar with Bishop. "I'm on my last five. I don't think it's working…" Rith thinks for a bit. "I bet it has a weakness under that armor." She runs up to it as it's about to hit Merlin.

Before she can get to it, it blow Merlin across the temple and he goes flying, He hits a pillar and lands on the ground with a thump. Lomilia rushes to his aid.

Rith runs up to its dragging leg and yanks out Chris's axe. It swipes at her and she grabs the sword and lets it fling her in the air. She then lands on his chest.

She brings back the axe. "Surprise, bitch." She slams the ax in the armor then brings it back again. She does a few times almost being flung off it twice as it spins in panic. After there's a gap big enough to shoot in, she jumps to his head and does the same.

This time it gets smart and uses its hand to pry her off. She gets a big enough gap and something glows inside but the giant machine grabs her and holds her out to see her properly. It then begin to crushes her.

She screams in pain and drops the axe.

Before Bishop can do anything, Chris rushes up, claims his ax and slams his axe into the machine's head. It stops then slumps like it was tired. His arms going limp.

Rith swings sideways, squirming in pain at the still clenched fist held her tight.

"Are you all right?" Chris asked.

"Get this off me!" Rith screams. "It's breaking my bones!" She shaking in pain and Bishop can tell how hard it hurts.

Bishop grabs a piece of metal and pries the finger one by one. When it releases, Rith collapses to the floor.

"I think it cracked a rib!" She holds her side, her face scrunched up in pain.

"Let me see." Bishop snaps. He pulls off her shirt, exposing that silver bra.

Aiken whistles and smiles. "Silver Bra's in pain."

"I hate you." Rith glares at Aiken as Bishop forces her to sit up and moves her hand away from the injured space. He begins poking it. "Ah! What the hell are you doing? That hurts like a bitch!" She scrabbled away from him.

He sneers at her and pulls her closer. "Checking for a broken rib. Nothing moved and since you're not crying I'm going to say it's bruised and maybe a little cracked." He pulls out a spare shit from his bag and rips it up, then wrapped the shirt strips around her wound.

"Someone check on Merlin." Bishop suggests in the middle of it.

"He's unconscious." Lomilia says from a distance. "But not really injured."

Bishop nods. "If you can, move him over here and we will come back for him after we get the treasure.

You can feel Lomilia's hesitance.

"Leave him?" She asks.

"Yes, nothing bad is going to happen to him while he's here."

When Bishop is done, he helps Rith put her shirt back on.

"Chris, open the door." Bishop says, helping Rith up.

He nods and places the pieces inside the hole.

The giant door moves to reveal mounds and hills of gold with a coffin in the middle.

Everyone stops and stares.

"Damn." Is all Aiken can say.


	14. Ch14 Saying Goodbyes

**Saying Goodbyes**

Rith rushes forward first. Of corse, Bishop thinks.

She grabs a small pouch and fills it with gold coins. Everyone else follows. Lomilia does the same but never really gets too far from Merlin. Eventually he wakes and joins in.

Lomilia just hugs him as he starts to stir.

"I appreciate the concern for me, lass." He smiles brightly and hugs her back.

"It's nothing." Lomilia blushes and lightly kisses him on the cheek. They then began gathering again.

"What's that?" Rith walks up to a pedestal with a ring on it.

Chris joins her and picks it up. "Cool." He puts it in his pocket.

"Maybe I wanted it." Rith sneers.

"Don't worry I'm sure there are other rings around here."

"But-" The temple rumbles.

They all stop.

Debris falls from the ceiling.

"The ring was trapped!" Aiken shouts at them. "Get under cover!"

"And get buried in!?" Rith asks.

"I'm sure the elves never wanted their treasure to get buried, we just need to find cover. I doubt the debris is just from them digging and building, not even from the roof. GO, HIDE!"

Everyone scatters.

Bishop grabs Rith and runs over to the coffin. He pushes it open, throws a skeleton out, and jumps in with Rith.

Thrask runs by and pushes the cover back. "Stay safe, dove!" He says before it shuts.

The coffin has a faint stench of something that use to be worse. Rith squirms at the thought of them sitting on rotten flesh. They breath in each other, Rith laying on top of Bishop.

Rith put her nose to his. "I can think of a few things to do while waiting." She smiles and kisses his lips.

He takes her in gently and feels her with his hands, kissing her gently and sweetly.

"Too bad there's no room for sex." Bishop says in between kisses.

"I would never have sex with you in a coffin, that's gross."

Bishop shrugs. "I could care less."

Thrask heaves the coffin open, revealing Rith and Bishop on top of each other. Rith softly napping on his shoulder.

Bishop smirks and puts his finger to his lips in a silent shhh.

He gently lifts her up, accidently waking her in the process.

She jolts awake and rubs her eyes, sitting up.

"Is every one still alive now?" Chris looks around.

"MERLIN!" Lomilia shouts from the darkness.

"Shit." Aiken whispers and they rush towards the voice.

Merlin lies crumbled under a piles of rock. Lomilia holds his head.

"He was right behind me but I thought he found a place. I was wrong." Lomilia's voice made Rith want to secretly cry.

Her shoulders sob in a silent cry, tears stream down her face.

Rith slowly puts her arm around Bishop's waist and leans on him, a sick feeling in her heart.

He doesn't do anything, but instead stay at Merlin's dead body with a strait face.

They sit there in silence, all mourning their dead friend.

The sunlight burns Rith's eyes. They found an exit, a stair case that seemed to go on forever and exited out the back.

"That was small for a temple." Chris pointed out.

"It was more of a shrine." Rith answered. "Not a city."

Chris shrugged. "True enough."

Lomilia starts walking away. They don't question it, they know she's leaving.

Rith rushes up to her.

"You loved him, didn't you?" She asks, walking in step with her. She looks back as the others watch.

Lomilia turns and looks at Rith. "I did, but we would have made a strange couple. Plus it wouldn't have worked out." She grabs into her pack. "So I kept silent, but I think he knew." She pulls out a necklace. "He once bought me a diamond necklace." The necklace was gold chain with a diamond amulet attached to it. "I loved the thought but I never liked jewelry. Why don't you have it?"

Rith looked taken aback. "I could never…"

"It's fine just take it and Rith…" Lomilia smiles sadly. "Take care of each other, you and Bishop, as stubborn as you both are, you're in love, and don't let it go to waste. For me?"

Rith grabs the necklace, holding her hand at the same time. "I will…. for you."

Lomilia smiles a little bigger, kisses her gently on the cheek, and walks away. "I'll see you soon, Rith."

Rith nods and looks back at Bishop. Handsome, stubborn Bishop…

*Don't worry I'm not done with this story…. Yet! (One/two more chaps to go!) Just to sum it up and another unexpected thing!*


	15. Ch15 Evil at its Worst

**Evil at its Worst**

Rith took a deep breath as she stood on top of the building, looking down at West Gate. Oh, how she loved to be there again. Rith smiled, on their way home, Bishop and Rith wen ahead of the group, wanting to get back faster, well… Rith did.

She now stood in a ruin of an apartment, on top of an abandon inn. One side of the wall was blown out in the middle, but curtains were placed over it, giving her and Bishop privacy. Rith found this wonderful place and now uses it as a hide out with Bishop.

They've been back for a week and all is smiling upon them. Chris has been taking his time back, or is already there, but either way Rith hasn't heard from him, other than that he might make a trip back for more. Whatever his choice is as long as it didn't involve Rith she was fine. She also hasn't heard from her family but that she did not care about.

The sun gave the sky a reddish pink flame as it began to set, and the winds were slightly picking up, the telling of a far off, coming storm is whispered upon it.

Rith was waiting for Bishop to get back, who left this morning and claimed to be back later that night. She hoped he wasn't long, she felt empty without his presence witch was odd for her. She hated it and if she could she would leave but they were now chained together and now

Rith felt warm hands wrap around her body, and lift her off her feet, gently, cradling her like a child. She leaned in and closed her eyes, feeling the heat of Bishop. He laid her upon a soft bed of silk and feather pillows, bought by stolen money, no need to waste it upon the gold they brought back, which was hidden in the abandon inn below them and guard by Karnwyr when they were busy or out, like right now.

Rith opened her eye a crack to see Bishop leaning in and kissing her body. He grabbed her firmly by her thighs and pulled her so that her calves dangled over the bed. He put his hands under her shirt, pulling it over her head. His warm lips kissed her cool body slowly, fumbling with the strings of her breeches.

XXX

Rith opened her eyes to the bright sunlight. She wasn't ready for the day, not with a soft, warm body to keep her warm. She nudged against it and remembered Merlin's painting. That sent a deep, dull pain in her chest.

Poor Lomilia, She frowned.

"What's the matter?" Bishop asked, obliviously awake.

"Nothing." She looked away.

Bishop put his hand on her cheek and gently turned her head towards him, and kissed her on her lips. She loved the morning she spent with Bishop, he showed a gentle side, no one will ever see.

He pulled her naked body close to his, but before he could continue, a pounding at the door stopped them. Rith paused then kissed Bishop on the nose before getting up, grabbing a dagger from her pillow, and snatched a blanket from the ground.

She walked to the door, giving Bishop a glance, who already had his bow, and opened the door a crack.

Aiken's smiling face peered back at her.

"Aiken!" She scowled, putting her dagger on a barrel, and quickly wrapped herself in the blanket. It touched her toes but Rith didn't care. She opened the door all the way. "What do you want?"

Aiken smiled greater. "Was I interrupting something?" He looked her up and down.

Rith sneers. "Doesn't matter, what do you want?"

"Just making sure I was informed right, that this was your place, Chris wants you." Aiken shrugs and looks away. "I don't what's it's about but…" He trails off.

Rith squints, he does know, he's lying. "Alright, I'll be with him in a minute, just let me get dressed." Rith leaves the door open for him to come in and lets the blanket slide off her, throwing it at the bed. Bishop was back to sleep, his lower body covered in a blanket and his arms behind his head. His features were relaxed and in bliss, probly from the events of last night.

Aiken returns his view to Rith, who is grabbing clothes for her naked body. Aiken studies her curves but quickly looks away when she looks back. Aiken has seen Rith naked before, when treating her injuries. He secretly has had a crush on Rith but shrugs it away, he knew his feeling for her would get him in danger and Rith made sure he knew, that was soon after the death of Nicholas.

Aiken sighed, a shame if only she knew… He shut that thought away, like she could read his mind.

"What are you sighing about?" She asked, fully clothed now. She goes over to Bishop and looks over him, with sad looking eyes. She kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"Oh, nothing." Lying, again.

Rith rolled her eyes, buckling a dagger sheath across her waist. She snatched the dagger she left on the barrel, put it in its sheath, and slid on her boots.

"Alright, let's go see what Chris wants." Rith says as she walks out the door. "It better not be a waste of time."

Rith walked down the street with Aiken chewing her ear off.

"We went back and got some more of the gold and it's been helping the gang a lot, you should come back." He smiles with the wind in his face and the sun in his eyes.

"Aiken, I can't," Rith sighed, he guided her through a alleyway, and stopped at dead end where they wait for Chris. "I just… can't…" She looked away.

"It's about Nicholas, isn't it?" Aiken gently put his hand on her face and made her look him in the eye.

She brushes his hand away and steps back. Aiken is struck by how old she looks with a depressed, crushed look in her eye. The part of her she kept buried, in fear of weakness.

"Rith, listen, Nicholas he's-"

"Ahh, there you two are!" Chris smiles as he walks in the alleyway.

Rith erases her look. "What do you want Chris?" she asks, a little menacingly.

"I just came with news is all." He smiled.

"What is it?" She raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms.

"Your parents contacted me last night that they had been stolen from, every gold piece in their vault gone, and they said that it was someone you knew…"

Rith's eyebrows furrowed. "Who?"

"Oh, you know, a ranger…."

Rith's face spread with surprise. "Bishop?"

"Oh, yes…" Chris smile became menacingly. "He apparently did it yesterday morning… looks like someone was using you…"

"But he would never…" Rith was cut off but a held back sob. She froze, not knowing to think any more. "I…"

"Rith, he stole from your family, you must bring him to justice." Chris suddenly became serious.

"But…" Rith didn't know what to do.

"Go check if he did, and if he did, all you have to do is give me that hunting knife he carries with him." Chris seemed very sly about this but Rith didn't care. She rushed past him and back to her home, through foggy streets, blurred with her tears.

She stumbled into the abandon inn and towards the floorboards Karnwyr guarded. She pet his ears and pried one loose. To see the giant hollowed out hole they had. There was everything that her family owned in the floorboards underneath the abandon inn. She sat on her knees there, stunned. Footsteps behind her alarmed her and she quickly placed it back, before turning around.

Bishop stood there, with a cool face and a look of worry in his eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"Oh nothing, I was just… checking." She pasted a fake smile on. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips gently. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her hips, kissing her back. She let her hands slide gently down his back until she felt it. His hunting knife, shealthed right where it usually is. She hesitated than quickly snatched it while he was distracted. She quickly hid it on her person and resumed kissing til he was done.

Rith stepped back. "Well, I'll see you tonight, I'm going to go get us more gold." She smiled slightly and hurried off before he could check for his hunting knife.

"You were right… so here." Rith quickly handed Chris the knife.

He smiled. "Thank you, my dear." Rith squinted her eyes, Chris was acting different. "Now, all you have to do is bring Bishop to Randy's, tonight."

"Why?" Rith asked, now realizing something was up.

"Because, Bishop will die if you don't."

"And why would he die?" Rith reached for her dagger.

Chris moved with lightning speed, slamming her against the wall with his elbow and holding her up by her neck. Her legs dangled.

"Because I will kill him for you not doing what I say, slowly, while you watch."

Rith shrank back. "What makes you think I care?" She put on her lying face. "I'm just using him, like he used me."

Chris threw back his head and laughed. "You wish you were using him but deep inside you really do care," Chris released her and she slid down the wall on her back. She sat on the ground defenseless, suddenly drained of the will to fight back. "Just make sure he's there or you're paying for it."

Chris left with a defeated Rith in his dust.

XXX

"C'mon." Rith crossed her arms. "I wanna go out somewhere."

Bishop squinted his one opened eye. "Where?"

"Randy's…" Rith smiled.

Bishop lay on his back on their bed and looked at Rith with one eye open, relaxing casually. "Why?"

"I don't know…" She looked down. "I'm tired of eating here, and besides, Randy's has aa good stew I wouldn't mind eating." She smiled.

"Why don't you come over here and convince me…" Bishop smiles wickedly. "Other than that I'm sleeping."

Rith laughed wickedly and kicks off her boots. She crawls on the bed, growling like an animal. She crawled on to Bishop and began to go for his neck, kissing it softly.

Bishop suddenly flips them so he's on top and kisses her sweetly. Rith suddenly become revolted, remembering why she wanted to go to Randy's.

Bishop senses it and pulls back. "What's the matter?" He frowns.

"Nothing." Rith lies, again to Bishop.

He grunts, gets up, and goes for his boots. "Come on…" He sighs and Rith suddenly feel guilty.

"Fine, we'll return to this when we get back." Rith says casually and slides on her boots.

Randy's was cheery while Bishop was not. He slowly ate his soup and looked deep in thought.

"Did I do something?" Rith asks, frowning at him.

He doesn't even answer back, ignoring her completely. She sighs and slumps in her seat, wishing she could just confront him. Chris soon comes in but only goes pass them. He speaks with Betty, the prostitute, and then goes into a room with her.

_Chris! Right now?!_ Rith scowled.

After a while he comes out and goes up to the table.

_Where's Betty?_ Rith frowned.

"Bishop, would you come with me?" Chris smiles his usually way. "I wanted to celebrate our victory together."

Bishop nods and follows him casually. Rith hopes this will all be over soon.

And then finally it hits her. Bishop isn't a thief, he's a ranger, and he got rich from the Golden Temple, so how and why would he rob her family's vault. Only a skilled thief such as Aiken could even…. Aiken! He robbed the vault for Chris, if at all, and it was all a set up! How could she be so stupid!

Rith swore aloud and quickly stood, but it was too late. A woman screamed and a man swore aloud. Everyone rushed in the room where Bishop and Chris entered only to find a horrible scene. Betty had a hunting knife in her chest while Chris wrestled with Bishop. Finally Chris won, holding Bishop against a wall.

"This man killed her!" Chris yelled. "Someone call the guard!"

Rith was too struck to do anything but sit there and watch in horror.

Finally the guard came and hauled him away. He fought for every inch of ground. Rith watched as he was about to be hauled out the door and paused when he saw Chris put his arm around Rith, who just watched with no expression on her face. The guard used this as an opportunity and forced him away.

Rith turned to Chris and shoved him. "You monster!" She yelled. Everyone watched them. "You set me up!" She punched Chris in the face. "He never-"

A punch to the gut silenced her. Chris quickly picked up Rith and threw her on the ground. He placed his foot on her. "Yes, and now that he's gone, who's going to save you now?"


	16. Ch16 Uncontrolled Love

**Uncontrolled Love**

"Thrask," Chris called, looking down at Rith.

Thrask quickly appeared from outside and budged through the crowd of people. "Yes…" He didn't look at Rith.

"Get these people out, and make sure that they stay out," Chris ordered. "Stay by the doorway til I'm done here."

Thrask nods and shoves everyone out and Chris grabs her arm and walks towards the room where Betty's dead body lays. Rith's chest heaved as she tried to fight Chris but he somehow was suddenly very strong, probly from the help of a potion. He dragged her by her arm towards the back room, where Betty still sit, Bishop's knife jutting out of her chest and a red waterfall down her chest.

Rith fought for every inch but it was useless, he dragged her along like doll, disarming her along the way and leaving a path of her weapons on the ground.

"What are you doing?" She yelped.

"Shut up." Chris threw her against the wall, right next to Betty. He kneeled and slipped her boots off her feet, chucking them out the doorway. Rith gasped for breathe as Chris pulled out a rope and tired her hands to a pole that went down from the ceiling and disappeared to the floor.

"You're a master thief," Chris said, pulling the hunting knife from Betty's chest and threw it over his shoulder. It landed an inch from the ground in the wall with a light thud. "…You find a way out." He smiled wickedly and walked away. "Of corse you might wanna do that before… the building burns down."

Rith struggled. "You bastard, come back here so I can slit your throat!" She sneered.

Chris stopped in the door way. "Oh the fun I could have with you… If only I wasn't on a schedule." He then disappeared and left Rith in the empty building.

Rith began to struggle with the strong rope but to no avail. Then as she paused for breath, she heard it, the cracking tongues of flames, heading her way.

XXX

Bishop slummed on the wall of his cell, farthest from the bars. He had been spit on, beaten, and dragged in dirt, but worst of all betrayed. He swore to kill Rith and Chris when he got out, if he got out, but he doubted he would be lucky enough to get out of this mess.

He sighed, how could he be a fool, Rith was using him, and he fell for it. He swore that he would never get close to any one ever, and just slaughter those that had a chance, it was better that way.

He was without that black bow Rith gave him and without his knife. He was disarmed and felt naked without them, and naked in a bad way.

He looked around and tried to peer in the darkness of the hall. The panting and footsteps of the jail dog was all the noise there was in this little cell block. It liked to tease the prisoners with jangling the keys in front of their cells and most would reach for it, with no avail. It came trotting up with the keys jangling in its mouth and sat next to the only torch. Bishop scowled, he hated that dog.

Then he heard it, another panting of a dog, but more in stealth and he is the only one who knew those footstep. He stood quickly.

Suddenly, a wolf pounced on the jail dog and ripped out its throat. The dog whined and then was silent as Karnwyr snatched the keys in his mouth and brought them to his master.

Bishop patted the wolf's head. "Good boy." He whispered, looking into the wolf's amber eyes.

He snatched the keys and unlocked his cell quickly. He hid in the shadows and quickly found his gear, being played with by other guards. There were two of them. One had his black bow, plucking the string like an instrument while the other balanced the knife from Bishop's boot on his teeth.

"What idiot has a bow with no arrows?" The on guard with his bow asked.

The guard with the knife balanced on his teeth mumbled something.

"Probly why he didn't get out of Randy's without being arrested. Murderer…" The guard spat venom with his last word. "I can't wait to teach him how a real man treats a lady, not killing one, such as fine as Betty." He sighed. "Poor, Betty…"

Bishop quickly made his move, he edged along the shadows until he was behind the guard with his knife. He wrapped one arm around him and snatched his knife. He quickly stabbed the guard and watched as the guard with his bow pulled back the string and yelped in surprise as the bow manifested an arrow. He let the bow string slip and it almost shot Bishop in the face but he dodged it in time.

"Freeze!" The guard commanded.

Bishop rolled his eyes and sneered, throwing the dagger in his hand. It hit the guard in the heart and he fell over and died.

Bishop snatched his bow and headed for the one place his last saw Rith, already planning his revenge.

XXX

The streets were filled with commotion when he finally exited the jail with bow in hand. People were rushing to the one place he was headed.

He didn't see the fire at first, but he smelt it. At first the smoke was faint but as he got closer, it became stronger and stronger. Finally he turned the corner and saw it. The fire had engulfed the whole entire building and people were screaming to do something, but no one made a move, just stood there and bathed in the heat.

Bishop spotted the dark skinned giant at the front of the group, a crushed look pasted to his face. Bishop shoved through the crowd to get to him.

"What did you do?" He sneered, pushing him back.

He looked destroyed. "Chris told me that Rith and you were going to kill me, Aiken, and him for the gold we found if we didn't help him. I believed him, so we devised a plan to throw you in jail and kill Rith, but when Chris was burning the building, Aiken told me that Chris had fooled us and by the time he was done explaining it, the building was too late to be saved. Then Aiken went after Chris and now you've showed up…" Thrask sobbed. For a big man, he loved Rith like a daughter and now he had killed her.

Bishop shoved him away and ran head first to the building. He tried to break down the door, but something behind it didn't bugde. Bishop to go again but a giant blurred sprinted across his vision and broke down the door.

Thrask turned to face Bishop. "Go, get Rith, then let us confront Chris together."

Before Bishop could leap out of the way, Thrask threw his arms around him and squeezed him tight, before disappearing in the crowd.

Bishop rushed in the building, it scorched his face. He pulled his cloak's hood over his head and put arm over his face. He dodged burning beams and rolled into the room where Betty's body lay. Her body had flames licking her toes with a shadow hunched next to her.

Bishop rushed to the shadow through the foggy smoke. He kneeled. Rith lay crumbled on the floor, her eyes closed. Her chest came in shallow breathes and she looked like she would die in a matter of minutes. He noticed the rope on her hands and quickly cut it. He picked her up gently and rushed out the building.

"Bishop…" She whispered and leaned on his heat only. She coughed and went back to remain silent. Her legs had failed, her lungs soon to follow, she was defenseless.

Bishop bursted out the door and on to the streets, a crowd clapped at his heroism. He shaked off that sound and looked down at Rith. She was deathly pale. He laid her down on the street and let her take deep breathes of the fresh air.

She coughed, her lungs burning. "Bishop…" She whispered, opening her eyes. "I'm so…." Her body ruptured with sobs. "I'm so sorry, I should have never…"

Bishop held her close, pressing hard on her in his embrace, so hard he was afraid that he might break her but only squeezed harder. She sobbed harder and uncontrollably, unable to stop. She hated the sad bond they had between them, but only embraced it.


	17. Ch17 The Death of the Story

**The Death of the Story**

Bishop and Rith rushed along the streets, putting their skill together to track Chris. They followed him to the one place where he would meet all four of his now angry foes. Rith climbed up a building as fast as a monkey with Bishop at her feet. When they reached the edge, Chris stood there, a wicked smile on his face.

Thrask was dead his body bleeding from a stab in the back, a dagger jutting out from his wound. Rith stopped. She knew that dagger, it was a gift from her to Aiken once. And Aiken, he stood next to Chris, another dagger in hand.

"Fancy meeting you two here." Aiken smiled. "I hope you don't mind the mess, I've been busy."

Rith hissed and pulled out the knife Bishop gave her. Bishop already had his bow pulled back and ready, a black arrow already on the string.

"How could you?" Rith sneered. "Thrask was our friend."

"He was your friend, to me, he was a loyal subject of yours." Aiken smiled. "You really didn't think that I didn't get over our little augment did you? No, I need you dead, if I want to fully control the gang."

"Is this what Nicholas wanted?" Rith hissed. "He would have wanted us all to work together, remember back in the old days?"

"We're not teenagers Rith! Not anymore! What we all had back then was great, but I didn't last when you and Nicholas got together. Not when he wasn't the only one who wanted you." Aiken blurted. He looked taken aback by his own words but shaked it off.

"Nicholas didn't know…" Rith said sadly.

"He did, because I told him, and he didn't say anything about him liking you til he made the move. Don't you understand Rith, we were all showing weakness, and I'm tired of it. You are weak, but yet you ruled the gang like a queen. Now I'm going to dominate the gang and kick you out of the picture of coming back. That's what their waiting for, but not anymore!"

Aiken rushed in, attacking Rith brutally but she was just as skilled. They soon became a distant sound as they battled from rooftop to rooftop, one never getting the advantage.

Bishop smiled and focused his attention on Chris. "Your mine."

XXX

Rith countered each attack. They were coming in heavy though, and she was unable to hit back, only dodge and block. She never thought Aiken was this good fighter. He was always a distraction for others as Rith and Nicholas did the work in the shadows.

He slammed his dagger down on a vertical slash and Rith blocked it with her own dagger, grunting at the impact. Rith heard a howl of pain and thought for a minute if it was Bishop. She went to glance and Aiken took a hold of this advantage and stuck. With a horizontal blow, he slashed her should on the side she held the dagger. She fell to her knees and grunted. Aiken picked her up by her neck with one hand.

"Your just weak, you know that Rith." He sneered. "Ever since you and Nicholas fell for each other, you became a weak shell of a once amazing rogue." His words were like knives being driven in her gut.

"Sounds like someone is jealous." Rith sputtered. "You will never be as great as I am, not even half way, you'll always going to be the second thief."

"Rith, I'm going to tell you something, about that little ambush Nicholas got killed in. That was all me, I hired those goons, hoping that you would die, but instead Nicholas fought back. I was hoping you would leave the gang, but no you didn't want to show everyone how weak you were, so finally I convinced your parents to hire mercenaries to slaughter a bit of the gang, and I'm glad it worked."

"You…" Rith's face twisted up in ager. "You bastard!" Rith kicked Aiken hard in the gut. He doubled over in pain and Rith landed on her feet. "You killed Nicholas!" She yelled. Rith snatched up her dagger and drove it hard into Aiken's back. His legs slipped and he fell to the ground. The dagger went all the way through his spine and heart. He grunted and died, pinned to the roof by a dagger.

Rith stood over his body, bleeding.

XXX

Bishop grunted as he took another hit from Chris. Bishop had a huge gash across his chest and a couple on his left arm. He bled intensely but didn't let up. He heard Rith in the distance but couldn't look at her, he was busy.

Chris punched Bishop in the gut then slashed at him with his sword. Bishop barely dodged it. He was no good with up front combat, nor in combat with an experienced warrior. Suddenly, Rith was there, she rammed Chris with her shoulder, and he fell to the ground.

Rith got on top, from experience Bishop joked in his head, and started punching Chris in the face.

"I'm sick of you!" She shouts as her punches hit his face again. Finally she slits his throat and he makes a gurgle sound as he dies.

Rith slowly gets up and shakes her head. "I can't believe this…" She turns and bumps her head against Bishop's chest. She looks up. "Now what?"

"You can start by saying sorry." He smiles wickedly. "Oh, you could simply show me how sorry you are…" He puts on a fake smile.

Rith laughs and steps back. "That depends…." She smiled just as wickedly as Bishop.

"On what?" He asks, crossing his arms.

"If you can catch me before I get home first." She turns and jumps off the roof, disappearing from view.

Bishop laughs and follows.


	18. Acknowledgments

Thank you all for your reviews (the good and bad) and support. Don't worry, that's not the last you hear from Rith and Bishop and I will now be working on my next story, IDK WHAT THE TITLE IS YET BUT ITS GONNA BE COOL, and I'll put the link on this when I publish the first chap! Thank you again and don't be afraid to look at my friend's profile

u/3693796/ChocolateMagicNingaBunniesXY 

and more stories (from me) for Neverwinter:

Bishop's Own Sacrifice s/8307190/1/Bishop-s-own-Sacrifice

When Casavir's In Charge s/8037301/1/When-Casavir-is-in-charge

Casavir Doing the Unthinkable s/8160363/1/CASAVIR-DOING-THE-UNTHINKABLE


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